Real Madrid goalkeeper Courtois was interviewed by Sky Sports during his attendance at the Web Summit in Lisbon, where he discussed his teammate Bellingham, coach Mourinho, former coach Xabi Alonso, and his future with the Belgium national team.
On Bellingham
I have a very high opinion of Jude. First of all, he is a great person and a good friend. Secondly, he is an excellent player. I think his performance in his first season has been outstanding. Last year, including Jude, our whole team might not have performed at the level we should have.
I think Jude performed exceptionally well at the World Cup. From the matches I watched, he was probably England's best player. I think he has maintained that level, and he is very important to us. He is excellent with the ball, in his runs, and in defense, and he is still very young.
I hope that by the time he retires, he will have won more titles with Real Madrid, and I also hope he wins more titles with England. Maybe not the Euros, because I want Belgium to win. However, if England wins, I would be very happy for Jude. He is an outstanding player and a good friend of mine.
On Mourinho coaching Real Madrid
It's great, really great, I'm very happy. When he left Chelsea, we parted on good terms. Yes, I'm joking. It's always good to work with him again, he's an excellent coach, and I was really looking forward to his return.
I remember I accidentally ignored his first message for two weeks. Because we were playing in the World Cup at the time, and on the day he messaged me, we were on a plane. Plus the time difference and no Wi-Fi on the plane, I missed a lot of messages.
Later, after a match, he messaged me again, and I asked someone at Real Madrid, "Is this the coach's number?" But now everything is fine. We lost two games at the beginning of the season, but now everything is going well, and we hope to continue this momentum.
Has he changed compared to his time at Chelsea?
I'll use his own words. I think he himself said he might have matured a bit more. With these experiences, I think he's sometimes a bit calmer. I remember at Chelsea, he was more assertive in the locker room, more imposing. He's still like that now, but compared to my memory from 12 years ago, I think it's slightly less intense.
However, his personality is still the same, and his presence is the same. He can make his presence felt throughout the room. When you walk into a room, if he's there, you can feel his presence. I think that's exactly what we need.
Chelsea finished tenth last season and are now fifth. Xabi Alonso, whom you know well, is now coaching there. When he left Real Madrid, it was rumored that the players pushed him out. Is that a fair assessment?
It's not fair. I think in football, it's always like this: when results are not good, the coach is the first to pay the price. I think perhaps in some situations, he didn't connect with some players, but I think he did connect with many players.
I really like him and I like his coaching style. I think he's an excellent coach, and what he's doing at Bayer Leverkusen is outstanding. I believe he will eventually do very well at Chelsea too.
They recently lost to Sunderland, and I think they also had a chance to win against Tottenham. That's how the Premier League is; victory and defeat are often decided by fine margins, which is why they are currently fifth. But I truly believe they will definitely finish in the top four by the end of the season. If the club gives him time to work properly, I think they will achieve good results. Although my departure from Chelsea was not the best, I am still very grateful and very fond of Chelsea because they did a lot for me in my career. I always wish them all the best.
On Belgium
My initial thought was to retire from the national team and end my international career after the World Cup. Because I'm already 34, I felt this World Cup would be a good culmination. But I must say, I really enjoyed this World Cup and had a great time playing. I enjoyed playing for Belgium, a feeling I hadn't had for several years. So, this experience was truly pleasant.
As for the Nations League, in my opinion, there are too many matches for players now. I needed a bit of a rest to get more time off for a year. I got injured in March and was out for a long time; then at the World Cup, I was substituted in the match against Spain due to another injury. So, I felt I needed a short break.
I also discussed this with the coach. Additionally, my father got married in September during the international break. So, with all these things combined, we decided that I wouldn't participate in this Nations League. I will accept the call-up again for the Euro qualifiers. If he wants me back, I will go back. Then, it will be up to him to decide who plays as goalkeeper. In Belgium, we have Senne Lammens and other goalkeepers, and I think we have excellent depth in the goalkeeping position. So, ultimately, it's about competing for your spot; nothing is guaranteed. When I return, my job is to prove myself as the number one goalkeeper. If he plays me, that's great; if he doesn't, that's fine too.