Courtois speaks about his special game as Ancelotti and Perez reach the team in London.

Apr 6, 20225 min read

Thibaut Courtois addressed the press gathered inside the media room at Stamford Bridge on the eve of the game against Chelsea (9pm CET). This time the coach was not present due to Covid rules and it was the keeper’s turn to say his word since this is a very special match for him. The Real Madrid goalkeeper previewed the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final tie as follows.

“Last year's tie was different. It was in the semi-finals and there were no fans in the stands. This is a new season, it's a different game and this is the first leg and not the return match. We're in very good shape and are raring to get out there and play with the right intensity. We’ll be giving our all to win”.

“I’m producing some of the best form of my career. I hope to continue to help the team by making important saves. When you consider that we've got the return leg back at the Bernabéu, anything is possible and that's why we're hoping to pick up a good result here. We have full confidence in the team and hope to go out and show that”, he added.

Spell at Chelsea: “I spent four years here and have nothing but good memories. I won the league twice and two domestic cups. My departure wasn't such a good memory, but transfers are always tough. I'm now here with Real Madrid to win the game and to help us through to the semi-finals. That's the important thing”.

Ancelotti’s absence in the training: “We know what he's like and how he wants us to train. He's got a great team of coaches behind him and he has sometimes taken part in team talks via video conference. The coaching staff did a really good job in Vigo”.

His fine display against Celta: “I helped the team in Vigo and hope to do the same again tomorrow night. A team that wins silverware needs a good defence and a good goalkeeper so as to not concede goals and go up the other end and score. That's what modern football is all about. In the second half in Vigo, they didn't have a shot on goal apart from their goal. I pulled off two good saves in the first half and that helped us to get the result”.

Current form: “I'm enjoying some of the best form of my career. I hope to continue to help the team to keep clean sheets and make important saves, which is important in the first leg of a tie. As we saw in Paris, anything is possible in a return leg. I hope that we can get a good result to take back to the Bernabéu”.

Chelsea: “They've got the same players and were on a very good run last season. This year, given the situation that they face, they’re perhaps struggling a little bit more, but they're a good team with some great players. We played them last year and we hope to get a better result this time round”.

Lukaku: “He's a great striker. He hasn't played so much this year, but he has immense quality. He scores a lot of goals, but Chelsea also have some other very good strikers and it's not always easy. If a team is on a winning run, the coach will pick the same players. When you're in your first year at a club, you've got to adapt. The same thing happened to Madrid and it wasn't easy”.

“The coach is the one who decides what system we play and if he didn't, there’d be no need for us to have a coach. Every player is entitled to their own opinion, but the coach is the one who makes the decisions. He might ask a certain player to get his opinion, but he's the one who decides whether we attack down the wings, dominate possession or not, etc. The coach has a plan and those are the things we work on in training”.

Amongst the best in the world: “All I can do is train hard to perform to the best of my ability. At the end of the day, you’re judged on what you do on the pitch. I can't change somebody's opinion, some people prefer a more extravagant goalkeeper, a taller goalkeeper, a goalkeeper who's good with their feet… I'm more interested in the opinion of former goalkeepers than journalists because they don't know what it's like to be between the sticks. But where I enjoy myself most is out on the pitch when I’m helping the team. The biggest reward is the team”.

“That's the opinion of analysts and journalists. A Spanish one might say yes and an English one could say no. I don't need anyone to tell me that I'm the best, it all comes down to tastes. I want to help my team, which is the most important thing. I believe in myself and think that I'm amongst the best. That helps you when you're out there on the pitch”.

Away goals rule: “It perhaps changes things a bit, as we saw in the match against PSG, where ultimately you know that if you lose 1-0 away you know that you've got to score three goals to win. With the result at 2-1 we knew that it would go to extra time. However, when you're on the pitch you're not thinking about keeping a clean sheet. If you concede a goal, you know that the return leg will be a bit tougher, but you think more about those things after the game than during it. I think that the rule change is a good thing”.

Benzema: “He's the best striker in the world. We need Benzema to be at his best, put in a good performance and get us through the tie”.

Criticism of team: “We're having a good season and we know that there are still eight games to go in LaLiga. There are always question marks around refereeing decisions, regardless of whether the VAR system is in place or not. This is football and things are not always black and white. There is sometimes a grey area, which is where the referee makes his decisions".

He added: "When Valencia were awarded three penalties, nobody said anything about it, but when it happened to us people said that we win games thanks to the referees. We struggled in Vigo, but managed to get the result. We've got some good strikers and it's perfectly normal that when defenders stick a leg out that we’re awarded penalties. It doesn't need to be a bad foul for a penalty to be awarded”.

Hazard: “I've always believed that he's a really useful player because of the class and talent he possesses. He's not had much luck and now has had the plate removed. I know that he's in good spirits and is recovering. The most important thing is that he's back for pre-season. I hope that he’s also fit for the World Cup. He would love to be here because it's a special game for him. I'm certain that he’s still capable of doing a great deal at Real Madrid and I continue to believe in him”.

Meanwhile, Carlo Ancelotti, who finally tested negative for Covid-19, is set to be in the dugout at Stamford Bridge this evening to take charge of Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-final first leg. The coach greeted the players and coaching staff as he arrived at the Conrad London St. James's Hotel, Real Madrid's team hotel. During his arrival he was accompanied by the president Florentino Perez.

The starting line-up for the game against Chelsea, in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final, was announced by Real Madrid two hours before the game start.

Real Madrid starting line-up:

1. Courtois

2. Carvajal

3. E. Militão

4. Alaba

8. Kroos

9. Benzema

10. Modrić

14. Casemiro

15. Valverde

20. Vini Jr.

23. F. Mendy.