Belgium surprises me says Courtois
Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has refuted claims about the reasons why he left Belgium’s latest squad.
Domenico Tedesco claimed that Courtois walked out on the eve of the Red Devils’ Euro 2024 qualifier with Estonia in a a row over the captaincy.
But the Real Madrid goalkeeper emphatically hit back at those claims in a lengthy social media post about the situation late on Monday.
“I want to make it clear that it is not the first time or the last time that I talk to a coach about issues related to a locker room,” Courtois wrote on Instagram.
“But it is the first time that someone decides to tell it publicly. I am deeply disappointed with this, but I want to make it clear that the coach’s assessments do not fit with reality.
“I insist that in no case have I demanded anything and that I have spoken to my teammate Romelu Lukaku to clarify any circumstances related to this situation.
“At the same time I want to make it clear that I did not have any discussion on any similar subject with any teammate, as has been claimed.
“Furthermore, yesterday afternoon I underwent a check-up for a problem in my right knee. The medical team of my club and the national team were in contact and reviewed all the corresponding material to make the decision to leave the training camp.”
Courtois made a 100th appearance for his country during last weekend’s draw with Austria.