Thibaut Courtois was among those offering public support to Tottenham goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, who was pulled from the match just 15 minutes in after conceding three goals against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League. The Real Madrid star shared a personal anecdote involving Lionel Messi to encourage the young keeper.
“That was hard to watch; I sent that guy a private message,” Courtois said during a pitch-side interview following Madrid’s 3–0 win over Manchester City. “I’ve also made mistakes at Atletico and Chelsea. When I got nutmegged twice by Messi, I got a lot of flack too. I told him to see it as a learning experience. He has talent and needs to keep working hard”.
Courtois’ reference to the double nutmeg dates back to the 2017–18 Champions League Round of 16, when Barcelona defeated Chelsea 3–0. After a 1–1 draw in the first leg, a dominant performance by Messi—and a night to forget for Courtois—saw the English side eliminated.
During his post-match press conference, Courtois also recalled the 2019 Round of 16 clash against Ajax, where Real Madrid suffered a surprising 4–1 defeat at the Santiago Bernabeu, a match that saw the Belgian veteran face intense media scrutiny.
A rare tactical move by Igor Tudor
When the electronic board on the sidelines signaled that Tottenham‘s No. 31 was coming off for Guglielmo Vicario (No. 1), the Riyadh Air Metropolitano fell into a state of total shock. A tactical goalkeeper substitution just 15 minutes into a match is a nearly unprecedented occurrence, especially in a tournament as prestigious as the UEFA Champions League.
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Kinsky thanks messages of support after tough Champions League debut with Tottenham
Following the match, Tottenham manager Igor Tudor explained why he subbed off Kinsky early in the game. Tudor admitted that in all his years of coaching professional soccer, he had never encountered or executed a similar mid-game change under such circumstances.
“I’ve been coaching for 15 years and I’ve never dealt with a situation like this. It’s incredible,” Tudor said. “Before the game, starting Kinsky was the right decision. After the game, it’s easy to say otherwise. He is a great kid and a great goalkeeper, but we looked fragile and weak at the start, and I had to make a change”.
