Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has been ruled out of Euro 2024, national team coach Domenico Tedesco said Tuesday.
Real Madrid’s Courtois has missed the entire season with a knee ligament injury and suffered a further setback in March which required another knee operation.
Capped 102 times since his international debut in 2011, Courtois said last December that he was giving up on playing at the European Championship in Germany due to his left knee injury.
“On this topic, everything has already been said. I don’t want a tit-for-tat situation,” Tedesco told German media on Tuesday.
Courtois has been on frosty terms with Tedesco since June 2023, after being overlooked as captain following an injury to Kevin De Bruyne, with Romelu Lukaku instead chosen to wear the armband.
Tedesco pointed out that by announcing his decision in December, Courtois had allowed the Belgian staff to prepare other options.
“We are focusing on players who are in good shape,” he said.
The 31-year-old Courtois returned to the Real Madrid group on Monday ahead of the Spanish club’s Champions League semi-final first leg at Bayern Munich.
Real coach Carlo Ancelotti has said he hopes to have Courtois back for Saturday’s league game against Cadiz ahead of the Champions League second leg.
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