Tuesday, November 23, 2021 at 10:16 PM• Dominic Mostert

It comes as no surprise to Thibaut Courtois that he is missing from FIFA’s list of candidates to be voted the best goalkeeper of the year. The World Football Association announced on Monday that Alisson Becker, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Édouard Mendy, Manuel Neuer and Kasper Schmeichel will compete for the award for The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper. Courtois thinks he has not been nominated because of statements he made last month.

“Collective trophies are more important than individual ones,” said the Real Madrid goalkeeper during a press conference the day before the Champions League match against Sheriff Tiraspol. In 2018 he was still voted best goalkeeper; in 2017, 2019 and 2020 he was among the contenders. “I’d rather win the Champions League than such a prize. And it doesn’t surprise me that I wasn’t nominated. Maybe what happened a month ago plays into it. Then I made some comments… Oh, I’ll continue. don’t comment on it.”

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Courtois was critical of FIFA on Monday, October 11, after Belgium’s 2-1 defeat against Italy in the Nations League consolation final. He called the duel for third place, among other things, a ‘money game’. The goalkeeper indicated that UEFA does not pay attention to the players and called on both UEFA and FIFA to think about the busy match schedule. “They can be angry with clubs that want to form a Super League, but they don’t care about players themselves,” Courtois said. “Only their money counts. That’s really sad. And then they also want to organize a European Championship or a World Cup every other year. When can we rest?”

Courtois also receives a question at the press conference about Eden Hazard, who has recovered from the stomach flu but is not yet in the selection for Wednesday’s game. “I know him. It was always his dream to play for Real Madrid,” Courtois said of his compatriot. “It is sad that things have not gone the way everyone wants. But I don’t see him training with his head down. Eden still radiates joy. He wants to help the team. If you have barely played for more than two years, it is of course difficult to find your old level. He will contribute a lot to the team. Nowadays people quickly forget what qualities he has. Unjustly. Eden is not just any player.”