BRUSSELS (AP) — Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois won’t be able to play at the European Championship next year because of the long-term knee injury that has sidelined him since the start of the season, he said Tuesday.
His absence could last even longer, though, amid ongoing tensions between Courtois and national team coach Domenico Tedesco.
Courtois said in an interview with Belgian broadcaster Sporza that he will not recover from surgery to repair the torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in time for him to play at the tournament. The Euros will be hosted by Germany from June 14-July 14.
“Due to the injury, there will be no European Championships for me anyway,” Courtois said. “I first have to recover the full 100% and then it is better not to put a date on it. If I’m lucky, I can play another match in May. But then you can never be 100% ready for a big tournament.”
Belgium will be playing in Group E alongside Romania, Slovakia and a playoff winner still to be determined.
“I think it is better to immediately provide that clarity to the national team. I’m not going to be in goal at 80%, while we have other good goalkeepers,” Courtois said. “I will just be an extra supporter in June. Hopefully for a European title.”
Courtois has 102 caps for Belgium but has not played for his country since a 1-1 draw against Austria in June. After that game, he abruptly left Belgium’s training camp ahead of an other European Championship qualifier against Estonia and was accused by Tedesco of faking an injury
Tedesco claimed that Courtois didn’t turn up because the goalie was “offended” by his handling of the captaincy. After Courtois’ father denied there was a dispute within the squad and said his son was allowed to leave because of a knee inflammation, Tedesco told the media that Courtois was not injured.
In his interview with Sporza, Courtois offered apologies to the team and Belgium fans for leaving the camp, saying it was “a wrong decision” that created “anxiety” within the squad ahead of the game against Estonia.
Courtois said he was already frustrated by a perceived lack of consideration from Tedesco before the match against Austria.
“On the Saturday of the match, a few hours before kickoff, Tedesco called (Romelu) Lukaku and me over,” Courtois said. “When he said that Romelu was captain against Austria and I was captain against Estonia on Tuesday, something snapped inside me. It didn’t work anymore. The fact that I no longer felt appreciation from the federation and coach made something explode within me.”
The Belgian federation has tried to repair the damaged relationship between Tedesco and Courtois with the use of intermediaries, but it has not worked out.
“Tedesco wanted to launch an attack on me,” Courtois said. “When so much has happened and you have a breach of trust, you get to a point where it is difficult to get out of it. I don’t know what solution there can be, because in a relationship you have to trust each other first.”
The Real Madrid goalkeeper, however, did not rule out a return with the national team although he acknowledged it will be complicated to restore confidence “after a breach of trust like this.”
“The door is definitely not closed for me,” he said. “We’ll see what the future brings. First get match fit again, then prepare with Real and be at the absolute top again in the 2024-2025 season. We’ll see what the Red Devils will be like next year.”
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Samuel Petrequin, The Associated Press
Daniel Miller is a sports fanatic who lives and breathes athletics. His coverage spans from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis for sports enthusiasts.
