All critics have been silenced. Thibaut Courtois was right against many on Saturday. It was remarkable that in all the interviews he immediately settled some scores. “I think I don’t get enough respect,” the goalkeeper assured. What’s the story behind that swipe?
In the run-up to the final, a major football account launched the demand to create the ideal mix with players from Real and Liverpool.
The standings before the final: 74% Alisson against 26% Courtois, despite the impressive campaign of the latter.
It was far from the only popularity poll in which the Belgian ended up among colleagues. Remember how in November there was no place for Courtois on the FIFA best goalkeeper nomination list. And in March, the English football magazine FourFourTwo didn’t even put him among the top 10 goalkeepers in the world.
Courtois had not forgotten the non-believers on Saturday. “I deserve more respect,” he repeated in almost every interview. “That’s why I had to win this final. For my career, but also for my name.”
hoses
The lack of recognition gnawed at Courtois. He showed this several times before his dream evening in Paris.
Stef Wijnants, who has followed the goalkeeper since his early years, also knows that it was an issue. And not wrongly. The Sporza journalist noticed that even in his own country, Courtois did not always get the praise he deserved.
“Some analysts still regard keepers here as second-class players,” said Wijnants. “Subordinate to goal scorers or passers. That way you create a certain perception. In certain Belgian teams of the century, Courtois was not always number one…”
English fans have long bombarded Courtois with snake emojis on social media. That comes in when you see it so massively on your timeline.
Abroad, the admirers were perhaps even smaller.
Many raved about sweeper-keepers such as Ederson, Alisson and Neuer, but forgot to praise outstanding shot-stoppers like Courtois, who were equally matched in other areas.
Moreover, the Belgian carried a certain past with him. Due to his openness in interviews, Courtois has already stepped on the long toes of the French.
And his move from Chelsea to Real Madrid – for family reasons – was misunderstood by many in England. Atlético fans also cursed him then. They would rather remember the goalkeeper’s difficult first season in Bernabeu than the successes that followed.
“The English press and fans turned strongly against Courtois after that switch,” Wijnants recalls. “For a long time they bombarded him with negative messages and snake emojis on social media. That comes in naturally when you see it so massively on your timeline.”
“For the English you are not at the top if you are not playing in the Premier League. Who the hell is leaving the best league in the world? Observers even portray Real as a weak team – pointing to their way of playing football. But If you don’t have the budgets of wealthy Middle Eastern owned clubs, surely you can look for another way to win than direct or combination football?”
Status of the greatest
But look, after the one-man show against Liverpool, nothing but praise resounded even across the Channel.
Just write Courtois as the laureate of many individual elections. Nobody will dare to overlook the Belgian in lists.
Wijnants also believes that the Champions League final will have been a turning point. “To the outside world, he has now definitively acquired the status of the greatest. What could he do better?”
Another thing: after the final, the poll mentioned in the first paragraph suddenly stood at 49 and 51%… in favor of Courtois.
How one match can turn many opinions.
