“I am deeply disappointed with this” – Thibaut Courtois hits out at Belgium coach over captaincy row involving Romelu Lukaku
Thibaut Courtois has expressed his shock at Belgium manager Domenico Tedesco revealing dressing room talks to the media. He added that the reason for him leaving the national team was a knee issue and had nothing to do with the captaincy armband.
Tedesco replaced Roberto Martinez earlier this year after the Spaniard left his role following a poor show at the FIFA World Cup. The new manager was without Kevin de Bruyne and Eden Hazard for the EURO qualifiers this week. He thus decided to hand the captaincy to Romelu Lukaku and Thibaut Courtois for their matches against Austria and Estonia, respectively.
The goalkeeper played in the 1-1 draw against Austria but left the team ahead of the Estonia game which fuelled reports of a feud.
Courtois took to Instagram on Monday to state that he was not leaving the national team due to captaincy issues but because of his knee. He wrote:
"This afternoon I was surprised to hear the coach's press conference in which he gave a partial and subjective account of a private conversation we had after the match against Austria. I want to make it clear that it is not the first time or the last time that I talk to a coach about issues related to a locker room, but it is the first time that someone decides to tell it publicly. I am deeply disappointed with this, but I want to make it clear that the coach's assessments do not fit with reality."
Thibaut added:
"In that conversation I asked him, not for direct benefit, to explain and make decisions to avoid situations that in the past have harmed us while always looking for the general benefit. To be or not to be the national team captain is neither a whim nor a random decision, it should be his decision and that is what I tried to convey to him. Unfortunately I did not achieve my purpose.
"I insist that in no case have I demanded anything and that I have spoken to my teammate Romelu Lukaku to clarify any circumstances related to this situation. At the same time I want to make it clear that I did not have any discussion on any similar subject with any teammate, as has been claimed."
He continued:
"Furthermore, yesterday afternoon I underwent a check-up for a problem in my right knee. The medical team of my club and the national team were in contact and reviewed all the corresponding material to make the decision to leave the training camp."
Thibaut Courtois won the Yashin Trophy last year after helping Real Madrid win the UEFA Champions League last season.
What did the Belgium boss say about Thibaut Courtois?
In a media press conference, the new Belgium manager Domenico Tedesco revealed that Thibaut Courtois walked out on the team due to an issue with the captaincy.
He stated that the Real Madrid goalkeeper was unhappy with Romelu Lukaku leading the side and wanted to be handed the captaincy armband.
Tedesco called the Belgian the best keeper in the world but admitted being shocked at the situation. He did not understand why there was frustration at the captaincy situation.
The coach went on to reveal that the plan was for Lukaku to lead the team in the match against Austria and then hand over the captaincy to Thibaut Courtois for the game against Estonia.