Thibaut Courtois rages at press pack – ‘Real Madrid is not a nursery, nobody set Xabi Alonso up’

Real Madrid's goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois, extensively addressed various media narratives following the team's impressive victory against Manchester City on Wednesday night. The Belgian sought to refute claims suggesting his teammates lacked discipline or held more influence than the coaching staff.

Courtois delivered another strong performance against City, making a vital save from Nico O’Reilly and assisting Fede Valverde's opening goal.

“They are aware of my strong long-range kicking ability. While I'm not Ter Stegen, I possess a good long-range kick that we've practiced, especially against teams that leave space in defense. With a quality ball, like those used in the Champions League, these passes are effective,” he explained to Cadena SER post-match.

“This Isn't a Nursery; We Are Professionals”

Courtois also tackled numerous media narratives, asserting that much of the recent speculation about the club is unfounded. “We don’t read what you publish,” he chuckled. “At home, I analyze what’s necessary with Llopis [Luis Llopis, goalkeeping coach]. Some information reaches us; we’re not completely isolated, but we don’t constantly monitor your reports. You often present things as true when they are not. Of course, no one will publicly contradict you, but I've seen some astonishing claims!” he later told Diario AS, adding, “It’s your profession, and I respect that.” He challenged the portrayal of the Real Madrid locker room as a group of unruly stars requiring special treatment from managers, emphasizing that he and his teammates diligently follow coaching instructions.

“You seem to believe this is a playground where we act as we please. That’s simply not true. We respect the coaches, the technical staff, and everyone involved. While some criticisms are legitimate, many are unjust. We acknowledge when we play poorly, like against Celta or Getafe, and accept our share of the blame. However, today’s performance was a collective stride forward, and we must build on that. When we fight for each other, success follows.”

“I recall my first year here; our situation was far worse than it is now, yet without this toxic atmosphere. The dressing room deserves more respect. Claims that we wield more power than the manager or that we refused to play in Albacete are unacceptable. We are professionals who consistently execute the manager's directives. Such insubordination has no place at Real Madrid.”

“No One Undermined Xabi Alonso,” Says Courtois

Following Alvaro Arbeloa’s initial struggles, similar to those experienced earlier, blame was directed at Real Madrid players. Persistent rumors suggested a lack of cohesion with former coach Xabi Alonso, allegedly due to his extensive use of video analysis. Courtois rebutted these claims: “I don’t believe that to be true. No one undermined Xabi. To suggest we disliked his tactics or video sessions… I worked under Antonio Conte, and we would spend an hour watching videos. I had no issue with it; we are professionals, and it’s part of my job. Playing with friends is different; there, it’s understandable not to want a half-hour video session. But if I’m required to watch a video, I watch it.”

“We thoroughly prepare for matches. I even discussed this with NFL personnel during the summer, and they constantly review videos. Our professionalism has been unfairly questioned. The initial months with Xabi were very positive. We later hit a difficult period, losing our rhythm, but ultimately, the manager is in charge, and we must respect his decisions.”

This season at the Bernabéu has been challenging, marked by two managerial changes within seven months. Trailing Barcelona by four points in La Liga, Real Madrid’s win against City was one of their rare cohesive performances recently. With Arbeloa being the third manager attempting to maximize the current squad’s potential with varied outcomes, it appears that merely changing coaches may not offer a conclusive solution.