Thibaut Courtois kisses Orejona throughout the awards ceremony at Saint-Denis stadium. Photo: EFE/EPA/FRIEDEMANN VOGEL.
The final flashes of the 2022 edition of the Champions League will surely be included Viniciusfor gaining a score on the goal of title number 14 for Real Madrid. But both in Paris, and in the previous epic series he had to overcome, the Meringue An angel is featured on its bow: the Belgian Thibaut Courtois.
nine saves built the archer who recently turned 30 years old as the most determined footballer of the night in Saint Denis and the most applauded by the thousands of fans who came to France.
He took a shot at Sadio Mané in the first half that touched the post, when they were still 0-0, and then deflected two face-to-face with Mohamed Salah, who ended up desperate on the ground in the Belgian’s victory.
Courtois was one of the first to go to thank Madrid fans for their support and approached the stands where he was present, first raising his hands to his face, for emotion, and eventually raising his arms to engage the public.
The heart of goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois with his family on the stands. Photo: EFE/EPA/FRIEDEMANN VOGEL.
Ironically, Courtois rose to fame at Atlético de Madrid, then went on to Chelsea in England, and in 2018 he went to the White House, a team where this season he was instrumental in his interventions to bring Orejona to the club for on the 14th. time.Santiago Bernabeu.
Born in the Belgian city of Bree, Limburg, in 1992, it seems that his future I would have been in volleyball, because his parents, Thierry and Gitte, and his brothers, Valérie and Gaetan, were professional players of that sport. however, At the age of five, Thibaut wanted to be a footballer.
It started as a child left side at the local Bilzen club, but when entering the Low of the Genk racing He began training as an archer. In addition to the genetics inherited from his parents, he has more than once recognized that to be one of the best in the world it is nail the beach volleyballwhere he developed the ability to be fast from below and above, despite his 1.99 meter height.
He debuted at Racing Genk on April 19, 2009, but it was in the 2010-11 season when he signed his first professional contract and became a starter. His team won the league title and he was recognized as the best goalkeeper in the competition.
Courtois, couldn’t believe how he saved so many scoring opportunities for Real Madrid. Photo: AP / Frank Augstein.
At Simeone’s request.
Chelsea, when he was just 19 years old, signed him nine million euros. But since Czech Petr Cech was under introduction, Courtois was loaned to Atlético de Madrid led by Argentine Diego Pablo Simeone for three seasons.
During the red and white stage, where he fell to Madrid as a city, he knew what it felt like to win the Europa League, European Super Cup, Copa del Rey and Spanish League. In 2014 he played in the Champions League finals with the colchoneros. Who beat him? The real Madrid.
In addition, he won two awards at Zamora for goalkeeper with the fewest goals recorded in the 2012-13 League, where he received 29 of 37 games, and the next one, with 24 of 37.
The moment when Thibaut Courtois deflected Mohamed Salah’s shot with a beach volleyball shot. Photo: REUTERS/Dylan Martinez.
From Chelsea to Real Madrid.
In the second half of 2014 it was recaptured by José Mourinho’s Chelsea, where he soon won the starting job with Cech. In the ‘blues’ he won two Leagues, two English Cups and won the 2016-17 Premier Gold Glove.
But the city of Madrid continues to drag him in, especially since his children Adriana and Nicolás have lived there, the result of his relationship with Spaniard Marta Domínguez. And on August 8, 2018, his arrival at Real Madrid was confirmed, in seeing the fulfillment of his dream since he was young.
In his room as a child he had the flag of the Bernabéu and a shirt by Iker Casillas. “He was an example I saw as a kid and how he played well at Real Madrid. Then I also looked at Van de Sar (Dutch goalkeeper). But when I faced Iker in 2011, it was incredible. notion “Courtois once recalled on Real Madrid TV.
The Belgian signed with the whites first in six seasons and won the starting job for the Costa Rican Keylor Navas. “I haven’t kissed a shield until now, when I feel like I’m here where I want to go”were some of his first words as a Real Madrid player.
He won three Leagues, a Club World Cup and a Spanish Super Cup. Now he can add an Orejona to his record, after renewing his contract until 2026 as the undisputed starter, as one of Zinedine Zidane’s pillars as later on Carlo Ancelotti.
“It is not easy to be the goalkeeper of Real Madrid because there is pressure to stop everything. Also because of the goalkeepers who have been there before. In general, miracles are expected from the whole team, especially at the Bernabéu, where the pressure to win and do it well. But that’s also why it’s Real Madrid “commented.
On Saturday, May 28 in Paris, he returned to bear that pressure and, again, Courtois was the most next to descend into history.
Source: Clarin
