Disaster for Belgium! Victim of a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee a few days before the start of his season with Real Madrid, Thibaut Courtois will not be sufficiently recovered to participate in Euro 2024 with the Red Devils. “Due to my injury, there will be no Euro 2024 for me anyway,” he assured Belgian media Sporza.
The Belgian, voted best goalkeeper of the 2018 World Cup, will probably be back on the pitch before the start of the competition in Germany. However, he believes that he will not be in sufficient shape to perform at his best level. “I think it is better to immediately provide this clarity to the national team,” he said. I’m not going to be in goal at 80%, even though we have other good goalkeepers. I’m putting my honor aside and will just be another supporter in June. I hope they win Euro 2024.”
The Real Madrid player, however, assured him: the history of the captain’s armband has no link with this decision. Last June, Thibaut Courtois did not participate in the Belgium rally, upset by the choice of coach Domenico Tedesco, who preferred to entrust the captaincy to Romelu Lukaku in the absence of Kevin De Bruyne. The German then declared that the goalkeeper would wear the armband for the second match, which was not enough to satisfy him.
“I would first like to apologize for this,” he said. It was a bad decision to leave after the Austria match. I would like to apologize to the team and especially to the supporters. I think these two groups were the most shocked. So: 100% apologies and sorry. »
Indisputable starter in goal since the 2014 World Cup, Thibaut Courtois will miss his first major competition. He will have to be replaced by Koen Casteels, the Wolfsburg goalkeeper, his usual understudy.
