Featured Image Credit: Alamy
Topics: Football, Euro 2024, Belgium, Romelu Lukaku, Thibaut Courtois, Real Madrid, La Liga
Ryan Sidle
Topics: Football, Euro 2024, Belgium, Romelu Lukaku, Thibaut Courtois, Real Madrid, La Liga
Belgium manager Domenico Todesco has an issue to deal with amongst his ranks after goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois failed to turn up for Belgium duty over the captaincy.
For many years it was Netherlands who were always a team packed with unlimited amounts of talent but never seemed able to win a major international trophy. Often there would be some sort of infighting in the camp that would derail them.
In recent years it has shifted to Belgium to be the 'Golden Generation' who never won gold and didn't tend to come away with silver either.
At last year's World Cup Kevin De Bruyne claimed the team were 'too old' and there were later reports of a bust up in the dressing room.
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When they crashed out of the tournament in Qatar at the Group Stages several players booked separate flights home from the rest of the squad and Roberto Martinez moonwalked out of the job.
It was left to former RB Leipzig manager Tedesco to pick up the pieces and get them qualified for Euro 2024 in Germany next summer.
On Saturday he was left without captain De Bruyne for the game with Austria so handed the armband to Romelu Lukaku, whose equaliser saved them from an embarrassing home defeat.
However according to Belgian outlet Het Nieuwsblad that decision didn't go down well with Courtois who felt he should have been captain in the Manchester City midfielder's absence.
The report claims that when the squad reconvened at their hotel ahead of Tuesday's game with Estonia the Real Madrid goalkeeper was not present.
The 31-year-old was making his 100th appearance for the Red Devils and he was given a special presentation ahead of kick off alongside fiance Mishel Gerzig, who he is marrying next week.
Courtois is then said to have ripped into his teammates in the dressing room after the game, with the players now believing there was more to it after he failed to turn up.
Todesco had already earmarked the former Chelsea number one to captain the next game, saying: "Thibaut Courtois is very important to us. I can't tell you how much I appreciate him.
"'On Saturday I had a conversation with Romelu and Thibaut about the captaincy. Against Austria it was Lukaku, against Estonia, Thibaut gets the credit.
"It is important to us that he feels valued."
The Italian may now choose to pick another goalkeeper for the Estonia game, which might also mean Lukaku keeping the armband.