Author: Amrit Santlani
Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois caused quite a stir after leaving the Red Devils’ training camp ahead of their UEFA Euro 2024 qualifier against Estonia. Courtois also attacked his coach Domenico Tedesco on Instagram after an argument between the two when Tedesco appointed Romelu Lukaku as team captain in the absence of Kevin de Bruyne.
Tedesco, who took over as Belgium coach after huge disharmony in the team during the 2022 FIFA World Cup, saw the team fail to reach the last 16 as they were eliminated in the group stage.
The team recently drew 1-1 with Austria, with Lukaku as captain, but Courtois seems to have fallen out with Tedesco over the choice of captain.
“Together, we decided that Romelu would be the captain against Austria and Thibaut tomorrow against Estonia. Everything was fine for everyone, but after the game, he [Courtois] suddenly wanted to talk to me and said he was going home because he was disappointed and felt offended“, revealed the Belgian coach at a press conference.
Courtois, for his part, hit back at the coach, posting a long statement on Instagram in which he revealed that he had returned after suffering an injury, which the coach denied.
“This afternoon, I was surprised to hear the coach’s press conference. I want to make it clear that this isn’t the first or last time I’ve talked to a coach about issues related to the locker room, but it is the first time that someone has decided to tell me publicly. I’m deeply disappointed by this, but I want to make it clear that the coach’s assessments don’t match reality“, wrote the Real Madrid goalkeeper.
Courtois also revealed that he had suffered a problem with his right knee, which Tedesco clearly denied.
“I wish I could say it was an injury, but I can’t lie. I always try to protect the players, but that’s impossible in this situation. I tried to tell him to hold out for two more days” added the former RB Leipzig coach.
With a team in such disarray, it remains to be seen whether the disagreement between Tedesco and Courtois will have any impact on the latter’s international career.