Thibaut Courtois, goalkeeper of the Belgian national team and Real Madrid club, expressed his welcome for the appointment of Dutchman Marc van Bommel as the new technical director of the Red Devils.
The veteran goalkeeper indicated during statements to the newspaper "LA LIBRE" that determining his international future with the Belgian national team depends on a meeting between them soon.
The appointment of Marc van Bommel came as a successor to Frenchman Rudy Garcia, after agreeing not to renew his contract following the exit from the round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup.
The Belgian national team did not perform as expected during the 2026 World Cup, as it exited the tournament with a loss to Spain in the quarterfinals, amid a significant decline in performance.
Courtois: I was not surprised by Van Bommel's appointment
Courtois affirmed that Van Bommel enjoys everyone's respect, saying in press statements: "The decision to appoint him was not surprising, especially since his name had been circulating for coaching Belgium for some time."
Real Madrid goalkeeper added: "He has proven his high competence with Antwerp, and his participation in top matches as a player gives him extensive knowledge of the atmosphere of these encounters, and I look forward to working with him."
Regarding the existence of a disagreement between Courtois and the former coach, Rudy Garcia, he clarified: "I only felt that I could not take goal kicks, but I was able to pass to my teammates and play normally."
He added: "Coach Rudy Garcia insisted on the participation of players who were 100% ready only, and there was no problem, because the team is always more important than any player."
He stressed: "Certainly I felt frustrated because the match was against Spain and at an important time, but the decision was made and I did not hold any grudge against Garcia, and I never wanted to speak badly about him."
Courtois's future with the Belgian national team
However, despite Courtois (34 years old) confirming his desire to continue playing with his national team, he linked his continuation to the condition of reaching an agreement that grants him a period of rest and absence from the upcoming UEFA Nations League competitions.
He concluded his statements by saying: "I certainly want to continue after the World Cup, but it depends on the conversation I will have with the coach to reach an understanding regarding the Nations League, and based on that I will determine my next step."
