Thibaut Courtois Blasts Spanish Media, Defends Himself After Recent Mistakes

Thibaut Courtois committed a bad mistake in Belgium's win over Russia in Euro 2020 qualifying.

Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has claimed he does not understand why Spanish media are so critical of him, claiming they want to 'kill' him after a poor performance.

Courtois has struggled for form since his £35m move from Chelsea last summer, and was dropped by Zinedine Zidane on his return to the Santiago Bernabeu. The Belgian was at fault for Russia's equalizer in Thursday's 3-1 win, stumbling with the ball at his feet to give Denis Cheryshev an open goal to aim at.

Speaking to local media, Courtois insisted that he does understand the press' obsession with his errors. He is quoted by Marca as saying: "I still consider myself one of the best, even though the Spanish press wants to kill me. I feel very strong, I'm calm because I train well and play well.

"Cheryshev nudged me and I ran out of strength to clear the ball. It was a little mistake, but that's the goalkeeper's life. Despite that, afterwards I kept calm and played my game.

"You always learn from mistakes."

The 26-year-old has often found himself subject to criticism from both the media and fans, as Real have endured a truly tumultuous season. Los Blancos have been well below par this campaign, leading to the dismissals of both Julen Lopetegui and Santiago Solari, while Courtois' individual form has certainly been littered with errors.

As Zidane returned to the club, he opted to reinstate Keylor Navas to the starting lineup, having grown into a huge fan of the Costa Rica international during his time at the Bernabeu.

Navas was in excellent form as he helped Real earn a 2-0 victory over Celta Vigo, making a stunning first-half save to prevent West Ham United target Maxi Gomez from opening the scoring.

Courtois' demotion to the bench has prompted rumours of an imminent departure from the club, and he has found himself linked with a blockbuster move to Manchester United as a potential replacement for David de Gea.