Thibaut Courtois reveals he sent private message to Antonin Kinsky after Tottenham goalkeeper's Champions League horror show

Courtois, who famously starred for Atletico on loan before coming back to Chelsea and eventually Real Madrid, empathised with the youngster's plight. “I sent him a message on Instagram because it’s tough,” the Real Madrid man revealed after his side's dominant 3-0 victory over Manchester City. “In the end, it hasn’t happened to me as much as it has to him, but after the Ajax match here at home, I also took quite a bit of flak. It’s mentally tough to keep going, you need the support of your team, to feel good again in training and to play well.”

The Belgium international suggested that external factors might have contributed to the high-profile errors that led to Spurs trailing 3-0 after 15 minutes during the eventual 5-2 defeat. Courtois pointed to the state of the playing surface in Madrid as a potential culprit for the erratic slips that plagued the Spurs backline throughout the first half.

“Ultimately, I think the pitch is causing more problems, not just for Tottenham or Atletico but for many teams that have played there,” Courtois added. He also questioned Igor Tudor's decision to haul Kinsky off so early, suggesting it robbed the player of a chance for redemption. “Maybe he would have continued and made some great saves, but, well, they make that decision and that’s what happens."

Courtois is not the only elite goalkeeper to publicly back Kinsky. Former Manchester United man David de Gea also took to social media to offer his solidarity, aware of how isolated the position can feel after such mistakes. Indeed, many veterans of the game have been vocal in their disapproval of how Kinsky was treated on the touchline by his own manager after the substitution.

Writing on his official X account, De Gea leaped to Kinsky's defense by stating: “No one who hasn’t been a goalkeeper can understand how difficult it is to play in this position. Keep your head up and you will go again.”

With first-choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario highly likely to return for this weekend's clash against Liverpool, Kinsky's immediate prospects at Tottenham look bleak. As the club hovers just above the relegation zone amid a six-game losing streak, reports from The Telegraph indicate Spurs will finally grant the 22-year-old's wish for a summer loan move. Reflecting on the 5-2 defeat online, the young shot-stopper simply wrote: "Thanks for the messages. From dream to nightmare to dream again. See you."