Real Madrid: Thibaut Courtois backs Mourinho's methods

Recovered from the injury he suffered against Spain, Thibaut Courtois is back with Real Madrid and thrilled to reunite with José Mourinho.

At 34, Thibaut Courtois begins his ninth season with Real Madrid. Now fully fit, the Belgian goalkeeper is eager to get back into competition after several months sidelined by two significant physical setbacks.

A lengthy absence at the worst possible time

His 2025-2026 season was cut short on March 17 against Manchester City in the Champions League round of 16 second leg. Injured on the very first play, Courtois gritted his teeth for 45 minutes, making four saves before giving way to Andriy Lunin. Tests revealed a muscular injury to the right rectus femoris of his quadriceps. Sidelined for 46 days, he missed eight matches, including both legs against Bayern Munich.

See also: Real Madrid: José Mourinho's 6 protégés

Lammens' entrance proves fatal for Belgium

Fit in time for the 2026 World Cup, Courtois played every minute for Belgium until the quarter-final against Spain. After a save against Mikel Oyarzabal, he suffered a left leg injury and was replaced by Senne Lammens in the 71st minute. In the 88th, the young keeper spilled a shot from Pau Cubarsí straight to Mikel Merino, who scored the winner. Beaten 2-1, the Red Devils exited the tournament.

Courtois delighted to reunite with Mourinho

The Belgian keeper returned to preseason early, working individually for three days before rejoining the squad. Declaring himself "feeling great and happy," he told AS of his excitement at working again with José Mourinho:

"Mourinho is a demanding coach who puts discipline and the team above individual talent. For me, those are essential ingredients for winning. He’s an excellent coach and a very approachable person. He’s direct, and I appreciate that. I think this is the right path to take. We’ve already worked together at Chelsea and won the Premier League. I have great memories from that time and I’m thrilled to play under him again. We hope to work well as a team and enjoy great years here."

Mahdi Zakaria LAZRI |

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Football web writer creating digital sports content with a focus on news, analysis and stories that reflect passion, accuracy and objectivity.

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