Thibaut Courtois' year from hell - and why the Real Madrid star's Belgium career might already be over

Although he might not admit it, Courtois' troubles likely began in March 2023 when he was overlooked for the Belgium captaincy by then-newly installed national team coach Tedesco, with Man City star De Bruyne handed the armband, while the goalkeeper and Roma striker Romelu Lukaku were named as joint vice-captains.

However, a seemingly innocuous coaching decision in June would send the Real Madrid shot-stopper over the edge. With De Bruyne out injured for the Euro 2024 qualifier against Austria, Courtois was expected to skipper the side in his first home game since reaching 100 caps - but the duty was instead given to Lukaku, and Courtois was told he would be captain against Estonia in the next game.

Courtois was supposedly left infuriated and failed to report for training the day after the Austria match, with Tedesco saying in a press conference: "Together we decided that Romelu would be captain against Austria and Thibaut tomorrow against Estonia. That was OK for everyone, but after the match he [Courtois] suddenly wanted to talk to me and said he was going home because he was disappointed and felt offended."

The keeper snapped back, citing his "deep disappointment" at Tedesco for going public about their disagreement, denying he had had a tantrum and insisting he had actually left the camp because of a knee injury, adding that "the coach's assessments do not fit with reality". Tedesco, though, doubled down, saying: "I wish I could say it’s an injury, but I can’t lie."

Reflecting on the very-public falling out later in 2023, Courtois admitted that the captaincy snub had made him "explode" and accused Tedesco of a "breach of trust" after his candid press conference comments.

"Look, if my departure was purely about the captaincy, I would have already resigned in March [when Tedesco chose De Bruyne as captain]," he said. "Kevin as captain? No problem. But then you had Romelu [Lukaku] and I as vice-captains without hierarchy.

"When he said that Romelu was captain against Austria and I was captain against Estonia on Tuesday, something snapped inside me. I couldn’t handle it anymore. The fact that I no longer felt appreciation from the federation and trainer made something explode within me. The coach made no effort to find a solution, but simply said he would tell the press everything. He wanted to pressure me not to leave and threaten me.

"That is simply not possible, because it was a private conversation. Then there is a breach of trust between the player and the coach. Tedesco wanted to launch an attack on me, one he announced the day before. Go ahead, I thought - something like that doesn't help and creates a breach of trust. Moreover, things were leaked to the press the next day, which I know came from his side."

Any hope Courtois had of easing his frustration by turning his attention back to club matters at Real Madrid would be short-lived. In August, just two days before Los Blancos would kick off their La Liga campaign against Athletic Club in Bilbao, the goalkeeper suffered the dreaded torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in training, leaving the pitch in tears and undergoing surgery on his left knee in the days after.

The timing of his injury - which usually entails a recovery period of up to nine months - on the eve of the new season threw his entire campaign into doubt, as well as his participation at Euro 2024 the following summer.

Speaking during his rehabilitation in December, Courtois effectively ruled himself out of Euro 2024 contention despite the possibility he might be fit in time, though he did suggest that he and Tedesco could come to some sort of resolution so he might return to the international fold in the future.

"Due to the injury, there will be no European Championships for me anyway," he said. "I first have to recover the full 100 percent and then it is better not to put a date on it. If I’m lucky, I can play another match in May. But then you can never be 100% ready for a big tournament.

"I think it is better to immediately provide that clarity to the national team. I’m not going to be in goal at 80%, while we have other good goalkeepers," Courtois said. "I will just be an extra supporter in June. Hopefully for a European title."

He added: "The door is definitely not closed for me. However, I know that I have to keep the focus on Real Madrid this season. And the European Championship does not figure in the plans for a perfect return. We'll see. Ultimately, nothing lasts forever in football. For me, it's no problem to sort things out like two adults. But where is the middle ground after a breach of trust like this?"

Despite the player's own pessimism, by the time early March rolled around, his return to action was considered to be on the horizon - with Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti targeting mid-April for the 'keeper's comeback.

By mid-March, Courtois was back in team training, and it looked increasingly likely his prediction of being at only '80%' for Euro 2024 would be wrong, and he might well travel to Germany at his peak after all.

Speaking to reporters about the Belgian's recovery, as well as fellow ACL victim Eder Militao, Ancelotti said: "They have started working with the team this week, we will take advantage of this break to do friendlies against the youth team. I think they will be ready for the match on the 31st (March, against Athletic Club). We won’t take any risks. They are doing very well."

Amid his imminent return to action, Courtois still found time to renew his feud with national-team manager Tedesco - an incendiary move that may well spell the end of his international career.

The Italian-German coach was inevitably asked for an update on the goalkeeper's stance on returning to the Belgium set-up ahead of the March international break, telling reporters: "It's good that Courtois is fit again, but he communicated very clearly. We are focusing on the players who are here.

"We plan our preparation based on his statements. I tried everything to take him to the European Championship this summer, but the last thing I heard was that he didn't feel ready to go. It was clear and honest on his part."

Courtois' response - given his age at 31 and the vast experience he has at the highest level - was petulant, at best. Taking to X, the Real Madrid man replied to a news outlet's tweet quoting Tedesco with three 'Pinocchio' emojis - effectively calling his manager a liar. He clearly stands by the implication, as the tweet still hasn't been deleted at the time of writing.

In the context of Euro 2024, that most recent outburst ultimately mattered little. Five days after the tweet aimed at Tedesco, Courtois suffered another knee problem in training - this time tearing the meniscus on his right side in a repeat of an injury he suffered in 2015.

The keeper left the grass at Real's Valdebebas base in tears for the second time in a matter of months and underwent his second knee operation of the season the following week, ruling him out until early May and almost certainly ending any slim hopes of him appearing at Euro 2024, given the conditions he set himself in terms of his own fitness, and his fallout with Tedesco notwithstanding.

As if things couldn't get any worse for the stricken Courtois, just days before his injury, his evident disdain for the Belgian federation would have intensified; Tedesco was handed a two-year contract extension to reward a 10-game unbeaten start to his time in charge and the comfortable qualification for Euro 2024.

The Italian-German will now lead the Red Devils to the 2026 World Cup, should they qualify - and the extension could well spell the end of Courtois' international career.

The goalkeeper turns 32 in May and will be 34 by the time Tedesco steps aside - if he isn't given another new deal or sacked in the meantime. As it stands, there seems to be very little chance of an imminent resolution between the vice-captain and his manager, and so one of the finest goalkeepers on the planet is staring down the barrel of a sad and premature end to his international career.