Atletico Madrid winger Yannick Carrasco has criticised Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois for his departure from the Belgium national team.
Courtois was not given the captaincy by new coach Domenico Tedesco last Saturday, and by Monday was no longer part of the Belgian camp. Tedesco publicly criticised Courtois for his behaviour, implying his absence was down to the decision not to give him the armband.
The Real Madrid shot-stopper responded with a statement of his own, also laden with disappointment, where he accused Tedesco of lying about the reason for his absence. Courtois claims that he is nursing an injury and therefore departed, saying that he also communicated this to the medical departments of both the Red Devils and Real Madrid.
“We are disappointed by his reaction,” said Carrasco speaking to RBTV (via MD). Carrasco felt that even if he was injured, the drama over who was captain was part of the season he was no longer with the team.
“In the end, he is part of the team, he is one of the three captains. An armband is just a detail. You have to show that you are a leader and a captain with your personality. He chose to leave. Whether he had [injury] problems or not, we don’t know. But one of the reasons for his departure was also the armband.”
This is not the first time that egos have clashed in the Belgian national team, and Tedesco is already facing an uphill task after just four games. Courtois is, as Tedesco has said, perhaps the best goalkeeper in the world. With the next European championship only a year down the road, he woud make a material difference to their team.
