Vinicius Junior among Real Madrid stars who can't stand traitor in Los Blancos dressing room: Reports
Many Real Madrid players, including Vinicius Junior, have been left offended by Thibaut Courtois’ comments after the defeat against RB Leipzig, El Nacional has claimed.
Los Blancos fell to a 3-2 defeat at Leipzig in their Champions League Group F clash on Tuesday night (October 25). After the match, Courtois criticized Real Madrid’s defensive performance and rued over their lack of intensity. At a press conference, he said:
“Today we weren't good at all and I think we lacked a lot of things, a lot of intensity. If someone is tired and can't do it anymore, they can't do it anymore, but I as a goalkeeper have noticed that we've lost a lot of duels and that can't be We can't score two goals from two corners and that's something we have to improve on.”
Courtois’ comments have reportedly not been received kindly by the Madrid dressing room. Players believe that only coach Carlo Ancelotti and president Florentino Perez have the right to make such an assessment. This is not the first time Courtois has been critical of his teammates. In the past, he criticized the forwards for not being sharp enough in front of goal.
🎙️ @thibautcourtois "We weren't in the match."
#UCL https://t.co/ymylMuCCuF
It has been claimed that a faction of Real Madrid players are not too thrilled with the Belgian goalkeeper right now. Vinicius Junior, who is reportedly a part of the aforementioned clique, does not believe Courtois’ statements would encourage the team to do any better.
Furthermore, a section of Madrid players also reportedly hope that the club will take strict measures against Courtois to avoid such interviews in the future.
The former Chelsea keeper has featured in 11 games this season across competitions, conceding 10 goals and keeping three clean sheets.
Real Madrid still have work to do to seal Group F top spot
RB Leipzig put on a stunning show in front of their fans on Tuesday night, inflicting a 3-2 defeat upon European champions Real Madrid. The defeat marked Los Merengues’ first in the 2022-23 campaign.
Although the loss has not dislodged Madrid from the top spot, it has cast some doubt over their hopes of qualifying for the round of 16 as Group F winners. They currently find themselves at the summit with 10 points from five games, leading Leipzig by a point.
The man of the people @Benzema 🙌
https://t.co/Zh3p9oUbaM
Los Blancos sorely missed Luka Modric in midfield and Karim Benzema in attack (both injured). Both are expected to return to the fold for their final Group F match against Celtic on November 1, which should boost Real Madrid’s morale.
Fourth-placed Celtic might not have anything to play for, but they are likely to do their best to bow out with a memorable performance. A fascinating clash is set to unfold at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on Tuesday.