Thibaut Courtois didn’t seem all that happy on Saturday, either before or after Belgium’s 1-1 draw with Austria in EURO qualifiers. The mood of the national goalkeeper, who always feels underappreciated, had less to do with the game and its result than with his personal situation. Before the home game, Courtois received an award from the Royal Football Association on the occasion of his 100th international match for Belgium at the 2022 World Cup. His girlfriend presented him with a small trophy and flowers, among other things. But the world-class goalkeeper’s expression was one of contrition (which didn’t detract from his impeccable performance afterwards). After the final whistle, Courtois then clearly slammed his fist on the substitute bench and then confronted his coach, the German Domenico Tedesco. Because he seemed to have messed up this special day – because he was not allowed to lead his country as captain on the pitch.
In the absence of injured captain Kevin De Bruyne, who replaced the retired Eden Hazard, Tedesco, 37, had to choose between substitutes Courtois (Real Madrid) and Romelu Lukaku (Inter Milan) decide. In conversation with the two, Tedesco stipulated in advance that Lukaku should wear the armband in the top game against Austria and Courtois in Estonia. Although there was reportedly no objection at first, it later looked like the deserved Courtois would take offense at his coach’s rather clumsy division. As a consequence, the 31-year-old apparently decided to leave the national team’s quarters early. Tedesco was “surprised and shocked” by this decision on Monday and justified the departure surprisingly openly by saying that Courtois was “offended and disappointed”. He, Tedesco, even wished Courtois’ absence was due to ‘an injury’ but he couldn’t ‘lie’.
The description of the events, which Tedesco involuntarily presented in a provocative manner, apparently felt to Courtois as a blatant attack on his own honor. A few hours later, Courtois countered in an Instagram message that the coach’s portrayal “did not correspond to reality”. Because he himself underwent an examination for a problem in his right knee the day after the game. It was then decided together with the medical supervisors to leave the training camp.
In the same letter, Courtois further attacked Tedesco, saying he was “deeply disappointed” that he had made “a private conversation” public. For him, Courtois, the conversation was by no means “about a direct advantage”. Rather, he wants to avoid situations that would have “damaged the team in the past”. There is no doubt that he was alluding to the persistently strong atmospheric disturbances in the squad, which led to a real rift at the World Cup and to the end after the preliminary round. It is said behind closed doors that there are as many conflicts raging within the team between the vain top players as there are between the Flemish and the Walloons in Belgium.
The newly acquired Tedesco should solve the imbalance in the team in the course of a necessary generational change. However, after four months in office, there are signs that the Belgian team’s reservations against him are becoming stronger. On the one hand, this is due to Tedesco’s rather inconspicuous career; most recently he was dumped in September 2022 after less than a year at RB Leipzig. And on the other hand, presumably on his decision to place the not undisputed Lukaku on the same hierarchical level as Courtois. Especially in view of his numerous successes with Real Madrid, Courtois should have been offended by this fact. Tedesco recently praised Lukaku as “one of the best strikers in the world in the last ten years”. It is well known in the industry how unsuitable the sensitive Lukaku is as a manager. However, does this justify Courtois’ violent reaction?
Belgium’s all-time international cap Jan Vertonghen, himself recently ousted as Tedesco’s deputy captain, diplomatically admitted he wouldn’t behave like that (like Courtois) – but he wasn’t the best goalkeeper in the world either. He, Vertonghen, hopes that Courtois will soon return to the national team. Will it come to that? A first step has been taken: Courtois posted a picture of himself and Lukaku showing the two arm in arm while singing the national anthem.
