Thibaut Courtois and Domenico Tedesco: Conflict between Coach and Goalkeeper in Belgium National Team

Conflict between Domenico Tedesco and Thibaut Courtois The dispute between Belgian national team coach Domenico Tedesco and Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has intensified before the upcoming Euro 2020 qualifying match against Estonia, with the goalkeeper taking an offensive stance. In a lengthy statement released on the social media platform, the keeper contradicts the coach's comments and expresses his disappointment about the situation.

Misunderstandings from Belgian national team coach According to Belgian media reports, the 31-year-old goalkeeper was angered by not receiving the captain's armband from the German coach following Kevin De Bruyne's injury during their clash against Austria last Saturday, in which the match ended in a 1-1 draw. Instead of Courtois, Tedesco appointed forward Romelu Lukaku as captain. It was reported that they had agreed in March that Lukaku and Courtois would be De Bruyne's equal deputies. However, after the game, the keeper appeared to be insulted and announced that he wanted to go home, recounted Tedesco at a press conference.

Courtois' response to the situation Courtois countered the coach's statement, stating that he had not demanded anything during their conversation and only sought to avoid situations that had harmed the team in the past. "Being the captain of the national team or not is neither a whim nor an arbitrary decision. It should be his decision, and that is what I tried to convey to him. Unfortunately, I did not achieve my goal," wrote the Real Madrid goalkeeper. Courtois also clarified that he had spoken with Lukaku but not with any other teammates.

Courtois' status in international football According to Tedesco, Courtois would not appear in the upcoming Euro 2020 qualifying game against Estonia, surprising and shocking the goalkeeper. A total of 102 matches for the national team has Courtois as one of Belgium's key players. At the end of his statement, Courtois explained that he had undergone a medical examination for problems with his right knee on Sunday afternoon. The medical teams of his club and the national team have examined all relevant materials, making an informed decision to leave the training camp.