Belgium’s coach, Domenico Tedesco, has officially announced his squad of 25 players for Euro 2024.
For the past few weeks, national team coaches have been revealing their plans for the upcoming Euro tournament, set to take place this summer in Germany, by unveiling the names of the players who will be competing. Numerous players from Real Madrid are set to participate, ranging from the young talent Arda Güler with Turkey to the veteran Luka Modric with Croatia.
Toni Kroos, who recently bid farewell to the Santiago Bernabeu, will also be part of the squad before hanging up his boots. However, one notable absence from the competition will be Thibaut Courtois. It’s official: the Madrid goalkeeper has not been called up.
Courtois’ absence from the Belgian squad may come as a surprise, especially considering his performances since returning from injury. He hasn’t conceded a goal and seems to have already regained his top form. In fact, he is highly likely to start at Wembley this weekend. Despite this, Courtois is missing from the Belgian roster of 25 players, which sees returns such as Axel Witsel and Kevin De Bruyne, who were absent due to injuries. Courtois was also expected to feature, but his absence cannot be solely attributed to sporting reasons.
Indeed, the Madrid shot-stopper has been at odds with his national team coach for over a year following a dispute over the coach’s established hierarchy. Courtois perceived it as a lack of respect and even left the national team camp. Tensions have not subsided, and Courtois’ injuries did not facilitate earlier reconciliation.
Moreover, the goalkeeper had ruled out participating in the Euro as early as December last year, stating that he needed the summer to fully recover, regardless of his situation towards the end of the season.
“He was honest, he was clear a few months ago. He knows his body, and he doesn’t feel ready to play in a competition of this intensity with matches every three or four days. That’s the latest information we have,” commented Domenico Tedesco upon announcing his squad.
Leave a Reply