According to RMC, despite Courtois previously stating his desire for only a temporary absence from the Belgian national team, the Belgian squad has removed the Real Madrid goalkeeper from their national team WhatsApp group. The 34-year-old had originally planned to retire from international football after the 2026 World Cup but changed his mind during the tournament.
In the most recent international break, Courtois was not included in the squad by new head coach Van Bommel. A month prior, the two had already met in Madrid and agreed that he would temporarily sit out national team matches. Van Bommel made a special trip to the Spanish capital to speak with him.
Discussing that decision, Courtois explained in an interview with Belgian DAZN: "I felt the schedule for the first international window was too congested. There were four matches, and then I had to immediately return to the club with games coming one after another at a very fast pace. Italy, France, Turkey—all important matches. For me, that period was indeed a bit too intense, especially since I had just suffered two muscle injuries in a row. It was good that I could rest for a week and relax, which also allowed me to regain my energy."
After an hour-long conversation in Madrid, Courtois and Van Bommel decided that he would not participate in the Nations League matches. Courtois stated: "It was made very clear at the time that this was not an issue. Senne-Ramses and Maarten Vandevoordt both performed well."
Despite his temporary absence from the national team, Courtois has not closed the door on a return. He said: "The coach can call me at any time, no problem at all. If I return to the Euro qualifiers squad, it's up to him to decide who plays. Belgium has never lacked goalkeepers."
Although he has not officially announced his retirement from international football, Courtois was removed from the Belgian team's WhatsApp group. He explained with a laugh: "This group is mainly used for daily information like training schedules, and occasionally people post messages in it, but not very often."
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Juabcnrtz
1
Neadenpstu
1
tell them f you
vecabcky
2
Courtois still the best goalkeeper not only in Belgium 🇧🇪 but around the world,Belgium FA if they decide to remove his what’s up on the federation website,who’s care