Thibaut Courtois accidentally ignored José Mourinho’s messages for two weeks during the World Cup while traveling with the Belgium national team.
The Real Madrid goalkeeper addressed the missed texts in an interview with Sky Sport, explaining that an in-flight message arrival caused him to overlook the initial outreach from his former Chelsea manager.
“I remember ignoring his first message for two weeks,” Courtois said, according to Sudinfo. “We were at the World Cup and the day he sent me a SMS, we were in flight; so I missed a lot of messages.”
Mourinho had recently returned to Real Madrid at the time and attempted to establish contact with the player known as “San Tibu.” Courtois expressed enthusiasm about reuniting with the Portuguese coach, noting that the manager has grown more mature and serene while retaining his commanding presence.
“He fills a room. I think that’s something we needed,” Courtois told Sudinfo.
Courtois currently remains absent from the Red Devils squad in Tubize ahead of an upcoming fixture against Turkey, electing to take a period of rest from international duty.
The goalkeeper admitted he initially considered international retirement following the global tournament. However, his enjoyment of the event changed his perspective on continuing with the national team.
“Initially, I thought about taking my international retirement and putting an end to my career after the World Cup,” Courtois explained to Sudinfo. “But I must say that I really loved this World Cup and I had a great time on the pitch with the national team.”
Regarding the UEFA Nations League, Courtois pointed to fixture congestion as a key factor in his current absence. He stated there are simply too many matches for players in the modern calendar, prompting him to take a year-long break from international fixtures to manage his physical condition.
Additional context for his absence includes physical setbacks, notably a lengthy layoff following a March injury and an enforced departure during a match against Spain at the World Cup.
Belgium faces Turkey in an upcoming fixture at Tubize, while Courtois has recently returned to action in goal for Real Madrid following his recovery from recent fitness issues.
