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Belgium team strengthens when Courtois returns. Photo: Reuters . |
On March 18, Courtois gave his first interview with the national team, explaining the reason for his absence.
"There was a lot of misunderstanding and misinformation, so I wanted to share the truth. That (the captaincy dispute) was not the biggest problem, it was just the last straw. I explained to my teammates that I am always a leader on the pitch, even without the captaincy," Courtois said.
Courtois left the national team in June 2023 after a disagreement with coach Domenico Tedesco. He will not be playing at Euro 2024, which stemmed from the captaincy. Courtois felt disrespected by Tedesco's decision to give the armband to Kevin De Bruyne, while he and Romelu Lukaku were only given the role of vice-captain.
In January, the Belgian Football Federation decided to fire coach Tedesco and appoint Rudi Garcia as his replacement. Courtois immediately chose to return to contribute to the national team.
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Courtois' experience is essential for the Belgian team. Photo: Reuters. |
Courtois added: "I had some physical problems, but I still wanted to play for Belgium. It was a surprise that the coach (Tedesco) did not speak to me once. I have never experienced that. I felt disrespected and lost confidence in him. When the coach says he is doing everything possible to resolve the situation, that is not true. Things between us have gone too far."
Courtois' return has attracted even more attention as Koen Casteels, Belgium's number one goalkeeper for the past few years, has immediately retired from the national team. Courtois said: "I understand that Casteels is not happy about losing his number one position in the team. But I have never had a problem with any player. It is a personal decision, I cannot say anything more about that."
Belgium will play two matches against Ukraine on March 21 and 24, within the framework of the 2024/25 Nations League. Courtois' return promises to bring strength and confidence to the team in the upcoming important matches.
Source: https://znews.vn/courtois-lan-dau-len-tieng-khi-tro-lai-tuyen-bi-post1539184.html
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