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Nothing but praise for ‘Man of the Match’ Thibaut Courtois after Champions League final: ‘The best goalkeeper on the planet’

An unbeatable Thibaut Courtois helped Real Madrid to a 1-0 win in the Champions League final against Liverpool on Saturday with several great saves at the Stade de France. The Red Devil was therefore named Man of the Match. His achievements also did not go unnoticed by the foreign press: ‘King Courtois’, is the title of L’Equipe.

“We shot on target 24 times and she shot three times, once between the posts,” Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp sighed. ‘We kicked nine times between the posts. But we lost the most important statistic. We had three big chances, which Courtois took in an incredible way. Three times it was world rescues. We should have done better to beat him. At the end we started with high crosses but that’s no use against Courtois.’

“I saw a lot of good things from Liverpool. But it wasn’t enough and that’s a shame,” said the German. “We played well, but if you don’t win, it wasn’t enough. I feel proud but the players don’t. These players have had a fantastic season enough. The two leagues we lost, the Premier League and the Champions League, the margin was very small. Tomorrow we celebrate a fantastic season. Now it’s too hard. But we’re going to do that parade. The players deserve that.’

Real legend Iker Casillas was there like the chickens to congratulate Courtois on his top game:

In the French sports newspaper The Team Our compatriot actually got a 9 out of 10. A high point that not many players can afford to our strict southern neighbors.

‘He is the best goalkeeper on this planet’ and ‘King Courtois’, it sounds. His performance bordered on the sublime with nine saves. His détente and save with the right hand on that strike by Sadio Mané was a pure masterpiece. After coming out strong on attempts by Mo Salah before half-time, he was back when the Egyptian was once again dangerous after the break. And he covered his corner perfectly when Salah tried again in the lock. He also reigned in the air domain.’

The Spanish newspapers themselves were of course equally praising Real Madrid and Thibaut Courtois. The sports world titled ‘The fourteenth is from Courtois’. “He was superb, he dominated his penalty area with overwhelming confidence, and he brought a sense of calm to his defence. Each save was confirmation that Real Madrid are not playing finals, but they are winning. Because Courtois is there to win them.” Bee Brand in ABC they spoke of ‘Saint Courtois’ and ‘Real Madrid’s miracle man’.

Bee The Gazzetta dello Sport they follow the high score of L’Équipe: ‘A great Courtois.’

Nothing but praise for the goalkeeper who kept Liverpool from the win for the British newspapers. Even more: Courtois gets a 10 out of 10 more than once. ‘By far the best man of the match with some brilliant saves’, judges the Daily Mail. “Unbeatable.”

‘Magnificent’, writes The Guardian below the perfect score for the Red Devil. “He was under constant pressure but held the whole time.”

For the ‘masterclass’ of Courtois, tabloid The Sun a 9 out of 10.

Ancelotti enjoys after new overall victory: ‘I am a man of records’

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti showered his team with praise after winning the Champions League. Real defeated Liverpool 1-0 in the final at the Stade de France on Saturday thanks to an unbeatable Thibaut Courtois. “I can’t believe it,” said the 62-year-old Italian in a first reaction. “We’ve had a fantastic season.”

“We did really well,” Ancelotti said. “It was a difficult game, we suffered a lot, especially in the first half. But in the end I think we deserved to win this game. We are very satisfied.’

Ancelotti now has a total of four Champions League titles to his name, two with AC Milan and two with Real. “What can I say?” the coach continued. ‘I don’t know what more to say. I am a man of records. I was lucky enough to come back here (at Real, ed.) last year and have a fantastic season. This is a fantastic club, a very good team with quality and a strong character.’

‘I asked Courtois to win the final and he did’

“You can ask Thibaut Courtois, I told him before the match that I had brought him into the final. That he had to win them,” said the Italian. “Well, he won the final for us. I admit, I’ve won four Champions Leagues and this was the hardest. No one believed we would win this one and that motivated us, made our team closer. We didn’t play well today. We weren’t in control of the game.’

“I have to admit that it is easier to win the Champions League with Real Madrid than with any other club. Difficult to explain, but the structure of the club, the fans who create the atmosphere,… it all contributes to the specificity of this club. If you also saw before the match. Despite the 35-minute delay we had, every player remained very calm. Calmer than me. Oh, this is unbelievable. And unexpectedly. Even I, an optimistic person, never expected that. Supercup, the competition and now the Champions League.’

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