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The Belgian team, third in the 2018 World Cup, was eliminated without glory in the first round of the 2022 edition. For its goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois, it was however much better against Croatia (0-0) , this December 1st in Al Rayyan, and owes especially its premature exit to the 2-0 defeat against Morocco, in group F of this tournament.
RFI: Thibaut Courtois, how do you explain that the Belgian team was eliminated in the first round of this 2022 World Cup?
Thibaut Courtois : I think it’s because of the second game [défaite 2-0 contre le Maroc, NDLR]. I think we had a good match today against Croatia. We had a lot of bad luck in front of goal. But that’s how it is sometimes: you play a good game and maybe you deserve to win, but that’s not what happens. Against Canada, for example, we didn’t deserve to win, but we won (1-0). It was really during the second match that we lost everything and not tonight.
What should have been done differently to qualify for the round of 16?
I think that if we had played the first two matches as we played today, we would have qualified. Whereas during the second game, we didn’t play well and we weren’t ourselves. We weren’t comfortable with the ball and we conceded a rather stupid goal. I don’t think we were as hungry as Morocco to win this game.
What was also surprising was the lack of attacking efficiency of a team like Belgium.
It’s true that I can’t remember when was the last time we scored a single goal in three games…
Is this your worst experience in the final phase of a major tournament?
(He blows) It’s a disappointment, of course. But I believe losing in the semi-finals [du Mondial 2018, face à la France, NDLR], It’s worse. Lose in the quarter-finals [1] when you know you can go further, it’s worse. It’s hard, but that’s the game. And soon the competitions will resume with Real Madrid, like the Champions League. And, after, in March, Belgium will have the qualifying matches for the next Euro, which will take place in just a year and a half. So we must continue.
Roberto Martinez, the coach of the Belgium team, announced his departure just after the elimination of the Red Devils. Did he tell you about it?
I don’t know what was said, but we’ll see who will be there or not in March: players, coaches… A new cycle is beginning. […] I will still be there, because my goal is to play another World Cup. If I stop with the Devils, I want to stop on a good note and not on a moment like today.
[1] In the quarter-finals of the 2014 World Cup and the Euros 2016 and 2021.
