Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois said he is tired of what he considers unfair criticism aimed at the club.
Real comfortably lead the Spanish league and reached the Champions League quarter-finals with an epic come-from-behind 3-1 second-leg win against Paris St Germain.
“I feel it always the same, people always doubt and question Real Madrid even after our best moments,” Courtois told a news conference on Tuesday as his team prepare to face last season’s Champions League winners Chelsea in the first leg of their quarter-final clash on Wednesday.
“We have full confidence in our team capacity and we are all looking forward to show what we are worth against Chelsea.”
Courtois was Real’s only representative to speak with the media after coach Carlo Ancelotti did not make the trip to London as he recovers from a positive COVID-19 diagnosis.
His son and assistant head-coach, Davide Ancelotti, will be on the sidelines calling the shots at Stamford Bridge.
“We know very well how Ancelotti wants us to train, there is a great coaching staff, he has participated in talks by video call,” Courtois said.
“Sure there is a difference if he is on the bench or not, but last weekend the coaching staff did well, so I don’t think it will be a problem in London.”
Courtois was Chelsea’s first-choice goalkeeper for four seasons before joining Real Madrid in 2018.
He said he has sympathy for his former side’s fans and players after the club were put up for sale by owner Roman Abramovich, who has been sanctioned by the British government following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Yes, it’s a difficult period, but I think you can see that the people who love Chelsea want to keep the same spirit,” he said.
“This club gave me the opportunity to grow for many years, on loan at Atletico Madrid and playing here. I’m always happy to come back. I hope the new owners understand the club they are buying.”
The Belgium keeper believes home advantage in the second leg should help Real Madrid, as it did against PSG in the last 16.
“We saw it against PSG, how playing at Santiago Bernabeu we were able to come back from a 1-0 loss in the first-leg. We want to decide the quarter-finals at home, the idea is to take the tie there in front of our fans.”
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