According to Nieuwsblad Sport in Belgium, Real Madrid keeper Thibaut Courtois didn’t show up at the team’s hotel for the match against Estonia on Sunday after Inter forward Romelu Lukaku was given the captain’s armband.
Italian tactician Domenico Tedesco, recently appointed as Belgium’s new coach, is facing a dressing room crisis as Nieuwsblad Sport claims Courtois was furious seeing Lukaku replace the injured Kevin De Bruyne as the Red Devils’ captain in a 1-1 draw against Austria on Saturday.
According to the report, the Real Madrid keeper vented his frustration inside the dressing room after the final whistle and didn’t show up at the team’s hotel the following day. Courtois was supposed to be Belgium’s captain in the game against Estonia, which will be played on Tuesday night.
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However, the goalkeeper felt he should have worn the armband also against Austria and didn’t hide his frustration following a disappointing result. Belgium have not officially explained Courtois’ absence, but according to the Belgian paper, the FA will justify it, saying Courtois is slightly injured.
Later today, coach Tedesco will face questions about the matter during a pre-match press conference.