Thibaut Courtois semi retires from the national team

Thibaut Courtois, the goalkeeper for Belgium, has declared he will not represent his country in competitions as long as Domenico Tedesco is the manager.
Despite having 102 caps for his nation, Courtois, 32, was not included in Tedesco’s roster for this summer’s European Championship in Germany.

Due to two knee problems, the former Chelsea goalie missed the most of the 2023–24 season. but was well enough to play in the Champions League final, which Real Madrid won 2-1 over Borussia Dortmund, less than two weeks before Belgium’s opening match at Euro 2024.

Courtois made the following comment, which he posted on his social media channels: “Following the events with the coach and after much reflection, I have decided not to return to the Belgian national team under his management.”

According to a June 2018 article, Courtois has previously expressed dissatisfaction about being passed over for the Belgium captaincy following Kevin De Bruyne’s injury-related withdrawal from international duty.
Tedesco, the team’s new head coach after Roberto Martinez left, chose to give Romelu Lukaku the armband for the Euro 2024 qualifying match against Austria, which is Courtois’s last game for his country.
Courtois went on: “In this matter, I accept my share of responsibility. However, looking forward, my lack of confidence in him would not contribute to maintaining the necessary atmosphere of cordiality.”

The goalie concluded: “I am convinced that this is the best course of action for Belgium, as it closes a debate and allows the team to focus on pursuing its goals.”

The two-time Champions League champion declared that his choice had been recognized by the Belgian Federation (RBFA).
After Courtois missed all of Belgium’s major tournaments since 2012, including the World Cups in 2014, 2018, and 2022, as well as the Euros in 2016 and 2020, the national team participated in every match of Euro 2024.