Thibaut Courtois Will Not Rejoin Belgium Team

Thibaut Courtois, the Real Madrid goalkeeper announced that he will not play for the Belgium national team as long as Domenico Tedesco remains the manager. Courtois, who missed much of the previous season due to two knee injuries did not join Belgium’s Euro 2024 squad even though he had returned to fitness and played in the Champions League final for Madrid.

The 32-year-old Courtois, with 102 caps, clashed with Tedesco in June 2023 which led him to leave the Belgium squad before a Euro 2024 qualifier against Estonia. In an Instagram post, Courtois explained that he decided not to return to the national team under Tedesco’s management after much reflection. He acknowledged his role in the situation but emphasized that his lack of trust in Tedesco would hinder creating a positive team environment.

Thibaut Courtois also stated that the Belgian Football Federation understood his decision and the reasons behind it. He regretted potentially disappointing some fans but believed that his decision would benefit Belgium by removing controversy and allowing the team to focus on its goals.

Belgium known as the Red Devils faced France in the last 16 of Euro 2024 and got eliminated. During the tournament, Koen Casteels from Al-Qadsiah started as the goalkeeper for Belgium. He played in all four of Belgium’s matches.