Thibaut Courtois was unveiled today as a Real Madrid player under the usual pomp and circumstance, including a press conference and a presentation in the stadium in front of thousands(?) of fans, and the former Chelsea and Atlético Madrid-man wasted no time in showing where his true loyalties lie.
Thibaut Courtois kisses the Real Madrid badge at the Bernabeu.
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) August 9, 2018
How you feeling, Chelsea and Atletico fans? pic.twitter.com/H6MDBL4ptv
While in terms of Chelsea, Courtois kissing the Real Madrid badge on his unveiling is about as meaningless as badge kisses get — we’re clearly under no delusions that Chelsea was a place he loved to be anymore — but given that his name is enshrined on a plaque in Atlético’s “Walk of Legends”, their fans might not take too kindly to this newest development.
“My objective was to come here. I have maximum respect for Atletico but now I’m at a club that I have always wanted to be at. I don’t think I’ve ever kissed a badge before. [...] I dreamed of this moment when I was a kid. I have been a rival player here. Now I’m one of yours and I cant wait to wear the badge”
-Thibaut Courtois; source: Mail
Ouch.
traitor https://t.co/qzDMo5oz7d
— Into the Calderón (@intothecalderon) August 8, 2018
More pertinently for us, Courtois’s already started wooing Eden Hazard to join him next season, which is supremely annoying.
“[Hazard] is very happy that I am here, he is a great player and I would like to be always at his side. Let’s see what happens in the future, if he can come, it would be fantastic.”
-Thibaut Courtois; source: Metro
This guy.
On a final Courtois-related note, deposed Real Madrid starting goalkeeper Keylor Navas had one of the greatest responses ever to the question of whether he’ll give up his spot without a fight and just leave.
“Of course, and I say this with force, I have the same desire to leave that I have to die.”
-Keylor Navas; source: Onda Cero via Goal
Sounds like Thibaut’s got a fight on his hands.