Belgium and Slovakia play this Monday (6:00 p.m. / La2 and Teledeporte) the second match of the first day of Group E of Euro 2024, which also includes Romania and Ukraine. And they will do so surrounded by the controversy that still rages … to the Belgian team for the absence of Thibaut Coutois in this European Championship due to a series of disagreements with coach Domenico Tedesco, in addition to the doubts generated by his serious knee injury, from which he recovered at the end of the season. All eyes fall on Koen Casteels, who until now was the team’s substitute goalkeeper and who has the brown color of replacing someone who is considered one of the best goalkeepers in the world. The Wolfsburg goalkeeper has addressed the doubts surrounding his presence between the sticks in this tournament.
«I don’t feel any extra pressure because I have to replace Thibaut Courtois. I have never doubted myself. I have no problem talking about Thibaut. Everyone here wants to perform the best they can. I have built my own career. I have nothing left to prove. It’s nice that the coach said before the tournament who will be the starter, but I’m not going to do anything special,” said Casteels, who this next season will play for Al-Qadsiah in Saudi Arabia, coached by Míchel, after thirteen years in the Bundesliga.
The Belgian team wants to close the chapter on Courtois’s absence, as was demonstrated during Casteels’ appearance before the press. Stefan Van Loock, Belgium’s press officer, intervened in the journalists’ next attempt to find out more about the goalkeeper to end the questions about the Real Madrid goalkeeper: “The Courtois chapter is now closed,” he concluded. This did not prevent Casteels from making it clear that it has not affected him knowing that he will be the starting goalkeeper against Slovakia: «I am no different in training now that I am a starter. I always prepare as if I had to play, I did the same as the second goalkeeper. “I’m not going to do special things suddenly,” he concluded.
Casteels coincided with Courtois in Genk’s youth ranks but while Thibaut left for Chelsea before joining Atlético de Madrid, Koen signed with Hoffenheim to consolidate a career in the Bundesliga. Last year he had an offer from Sevilla and next year he will play in Saudi Arabia. Caastels has more than 350 professional games, but has only defended the Red Devils’ goal on nine occasions.
Conflict
The conflict between Courtois and Domenico Tedesco broke out on June 19 of last year, when the goalkeeper decided to leave the Belgium camp after a qualifying match for the European Championship against Austria. The coach has not forgiven him and at the time already accused the goalkeeper of having left them stranded. The controversy worsened after Courtois’ own accusations, revealing in the Sporza media that Tedesco had pressured and even threatened him. In this same interview, Courtois ruled himself out of the Eurocup due to the serious knee injury he was experiencing. «Due to this injury, for me there will be no Euro Cup. First I have to recover 100% and it is better not to put a date on it. If I’m lucky, I’ll be able to play a game in May. But I will never be 100% prepared for a big tournament like the Euro Cup,” he said, not yet knowing that the deadlines would be shortened. In fact, he was able to play in the Champions League final.
Completely recovered, the situation could not be redirected. «Courtois was very clear in his communication a few months ago. He knows his body, he does not feel prepared to compete in a competition of this intensity with matches every three or four days. “This is the last information we take into account,” the Belgian coach concluded to justify his exclusion from the squad.
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