Real Madrid stalwart reacts to Jose Mourinho arrival – “We had our occasional frictions” | OneFootball

On Thursday, Real Madrid announced the return of Jose Mourinho as manager, 13 years after his first spell in charge. There are no more players at the club from that time, although there is one that has experienced of being coached by the Portuguese, that being goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

Courtois played under Mourinho at Chelsea, and as per Diario AS, he gave his reaction to the news that he will once again he working under The Special One.

“We also had our occasional frictions. For example, he sat me on the bench against Everton because I had crossed two balls from the wing in the previous game against Aston Villa. It was his way of provoking me. The following week, I returned to the goal against West Ham and made five or six crucial saves. Mourinho is a very direct coach; I’m the same. Our relationship has always been very good.”

Courtois speaks on injury recovery

Image via Angel Martinez/Getty Images

Courtois is currently with Belgium at the 2026 World Cup, which got underway on Thursday. He was speaking to the media in North America, and he was asked about how he is feeling after a injury-hit few years in his career.

“When I tore my cruciate ligament, I started to think about the future, because I felt that those moments of rest gave me strength. There was no pressure to play, for example, four important Champions League games in two weeks. I could go to the gym to let my body recover. Even when I wasn’t called up by the previous national coach, I noticed that I was recovering well during those periods.”

Courtois was also asked about his future at Real Madrid, with whom he currently has a contract until next summer.

“At Real Madrid, the principle is that, from the age of thirty, the contract is renewed year after year. So I’m pretty calm about it. If I continue to perform as I have done so far, a renewal will not be a problem. But Real Madrid are a top club and, at some point, they will also have to think about a successor. For me, the ideal would be to be able to finish my career in Madrid.”