Courtois talks about his relationship with Zidane and Keylor Navas: “He felt I invaded his space” | OneFootball

In a revealing Prime Video documentary, Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois candidly discussed some of the more contentious moments of his football career.

When Courtois first joined Real Madrid, he was nervous about how he would be received by then-manager Zinedine Zidane.

The Belgian goalkeeper initially believed that Zidane would favour Keylor Navas, the established number one and that he would be largely ignored. The keeper thought Zidane had little regard for him, but his fears were quickly dispelled.

Zidane reached out to Courtois, addressing the tension between them. He reassured Courtois that he had faith in his abilities and would be the club’s first-choice goalkeeper.

“Zidane spoke to me, he felt that we didn’t get along and I told him that I had the feeling that he didn’t like me. Then, he said no, he told me that he trusted me and that I would be his goalkeeper,” said Courtois as quoted by SPORT.

The situation with Keylor Navas

Thibaut Courtois had difficulties in adjusting at Real Madrid. (Photo credit should read GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP via Getty Images)

The situation with Navas, however, was a different story. Courtois revealed that the Costa Rican goalkeeper was not pleased with his arrival. Despite having won three Champions League titles, Navas felt that Courtois’s presence threatened his position.

“Keylor had won three Champions Leagues and when I arrived, he felt that I had invaded his space,” he added.

Courtois also touched upon the controversy surrounding his transfer from Atletico Madrid to Real Madrid. The move, which shifted him from being a beloved figure at Atletico to becoming a target of their supporters’ ire, was a major point of contention.

Courtois recalled the hostility he faced, including being pelted with stuffed rats and the physical altercations he encountered. He acknowledged that while such reactions were expected from rival fans, the extent of the hostility was excessive.

“They kept throwing stuffed rats at me, the thing with the tackle, the blood… I can understand it, it came from the rival, but they went too far,” he noted.