Belgian national coach Tedesco will definitely not take Courtois to the European Championship: ‘No ping pong’

NOS Football•today, 5:47 PM

Belgium will participate in the European Football Championship in Germany without Thibaut Courtois. The 31-year-old goalkeeper, who played three World Cups and two European Championships, will definitely not be included in the Red Devils’ European Championship selection by national coach Domenico Tedesco.

The Italian-German trainer did not want to explain to the media his decision to leave the experienced goalkeeper at home. “Everything has already been said on this subject. I don’t want to play ping-pong.”

Relations between Tedesco and Courtois have been on edge since June last year. That was the result of the Spanish national coach’s decision not to make the goalkeeper captain when Kevin De Bruyne was injured.

In the European Championship qualifier against Austria, striker Romelu Lukaku wore the captain’s armband. In the following international match it would be Courtois’ turn, but by then the goalkeeper had already left the Belgian camp.

Subsequently, Courtois, who had been struggling with a serious cruciate ligament injury since the start of the season, announced in December last year that he would miss the European Championship. In his own words, he feared he had not recovered 100 percent.

While his return to goal at his club Real Madrid seemed imminent, the 101-time international suffered a new knee injury in March this year. As a result, he has not yet kept a minute this season.

“We are concentrating on players who are in good form,” said Tedesco, closing the door on a Courtois return.