Thibaut Courtois no longer has the seum. After Belgium’s defeat against France during the 2018 World Cup, the goalkeeper did not hide his disappointment in the face of the media. More peaceful, the Belgian still does not keep his tongue in his pocket. This Thursday, he spoke at length during an interview given to the Cadena COPEwhere he discussed his outspokenness. “I’m telling the truth, I have no problem with that. I don’t think this is criticizing the team. It’s just telling it like it is. Otherwise, what’s the point of doing interviews? Sometimes things happen during matches that are obvious and need to be said. And if anyone within the club has a problem with what I say, they can tell me. It never happened to me at Real Madrid, but it did in the selection. There is no problem, and I also understand that some things are only said internally. I can look anyone in the eye, and if I make a mistake, I have no problem admitting it, like I did in the Copa del Rey, when I made the mistake that led to a 2-2 draw and apologized to the team.”
Well launched, the Belgian goalkeeper was cooked about the crisis which would reign within Real Madrid. “Well… when we draw or lose, we always talk about a crisis, and there is always more noise outside than inside. I don’t think the game against Liverpool was good, and our defeat was deserved. Against Rayo, I don’t think we played that badly. It’s always difficult to play in Vallecas, and we’ve always struggled to win there in recent years. We know we have to improve, and now we have a difficult month ahead of us with a lot of away matches. We will try to do well, and we absolutely have to go to Elche and win.”
Courtois denounces lies
Courtois, who will be present against Elche after a small physical problem, was then revived on the analysis of Xabi Alonso after the defeat against the Reds. “Seen from the outside, a match always seems different from what we experience on the pitch. And on the pitch, I really had the feeling that in the first half against Liverpool, we generally controlled the match. Their chances were limited to a long shot, a missed clearance and a set piece. On the other hand, in the second half, like against Rayo Vallecano, we struggled to be dangerous in attack. Liverpool were simply the better team.” The Red Devil was then very clear regarding the problems between the locker room and Xabi Alonso.
“I don’t feel like I have a bad relationship with the manager. But in the end, there are always players in the locker room who are a little unhappy about not playing as much or playing differently. We always discuss it verbally in meetings and there is no problem. I’m 33 years old and I could give orders, but we didn’t need to because we’re all working in the same direction. When I read these articles, I say they are false. These are just rumors that make a lot of noise.” Asked to compare Xabi Alonso to Carlo Ancelotti, he confided: “They are two different things, two different environments. Ancelotti is almost a father figure, even a grandfather, to some, and he has a particular charisma, different from that of the younger and more modern Xabi. They are two very good coaches, each with their own style. I learned a lot from Carlo and I will always be grateful to him; but to say that we miss Xabi would be a lack of respect.
The Belgian puts Lamine Yamal and Barça back in place
Concerning Vinicius Jr, who was angry after his substitution during the Clasico, Thibaut Courtois has his opinion on the matter. “He apologized and we moved on. In the end, we are all human and we all react like that sometimes during a high-pressure match. This is something that has happened to me and many others. But he apologized to the whole team and the technical staff” Still regarding the match against Barça, Courtois mentioned the barbs thrown by Lamine Yamal. “I think when you’re relaxed and comfortable, you can sometimes say things you don’t mean. For me, Lamine is a great player and he will mark the history of Barça. But he said that, it sowed a bit of discord, and the press was unleashed against him…”
He spoke with him after the match. “I saw him talking to Carvajal and the little altercation broke out… so I said something to him too. Like I said, when emotions are running high, we say things we don’t need to say. But that’s what a Clásico is. We needed this atmosphere, this intensity, especially after the four defeats last year. We need this intensity, this feeling that Barcelona are an enemy and that we must attack them because even when they won, they didn’t really show us respect. But if Carvajal or Huijsen are selected, I don’t think there will be any problems with Lamine Yamal, and if I see him, there won’t be any either. These are just squabbles on the ground, things that must be accepted.” Despite everything, the Madrilenians did not appreciate the exit of Lamine Yamal and they let him know…
