Former Belgian national team coach reviewed the conflict with Courtois: He has been completely let go, this matter is over

May 8th Spanish media "World Sports" reported that former Belgian national team coach Domenico Tedesco talked in detail about the famous contradiction with Real Madrid goalkeeper Tibo Courtois in the latest podcast program of Bistro. The 39-year-old German coach made it clear: "I have personally put aside the incident of Courtois withdrawing from the national team, and this chapter can be concluded. "

The incident went back to the UEFA Nations League match in June 2023. Courtois, who ushered in the 100-game milestone in the national team due to Kevin De Bruyne's absence, expected to wear the captain's armband against Austria, but Tedesco finally chose Lukaku. This "armorband storm" led to Real Madrid's goalkeeper's public announcement: "As long as Tedesco coaches, I will not play for the Red Devils." It was not until January 2025 that the Belgian Football Association changed its appointment with French coach Rudy Garcia, that Courtois would not end the 18-month national team absent.

"I read various reports after the press conference, and many of the contents were seriously inconsistent with the facts. "Tedesco admitted in the program, "It should be clarified that the captain's armband has never been a core issue, and simply attributed it to this detail is one-sided. "This statement echoes Courtois' statement when he returned to the national team this year. At that time, the Belgian goalkeeper also emphasized: "The dispute over armband is just an appearance, and deeper it is a difference in concepts. "

According to Belgian media, the conflict between the two sides actually originated from tactical arrangements. Tedesco asked the goalkeeper to participate more in the backcourt transmission, which conflicted with the traditional goal line technical style that Courtois is good at. Dressing room sources revealed that in the friendly match against Germany in March 2023, the coaching staff criticized Courtois's goal-shot choice in public, which completely intensified the contradiction.

"I of course thought about it repeatedly afterwards," Tedesco, who is currently at home, admitted, "Is my handling appropriate? How did the team interpret this conflict? But the endless entanglement is meaningless. "He particularly emphasized that he had reached a settlement with himself: "Looking back at this matter, I feel completely calm. From the coaching perspective, this page is completely over. "