Courtois returns to the Belgian national team

In coach Rudi Garcia's first squad, Courtois is a name that has not been on the list for a long time. The Real Madrid goalkeeper had a falling out with then coach Domenico Tedesco in the summer of 2023 and was subsequently no longer nominated. As a result, Courtois also missed the European Championship in Germany. In August of last year, he announced that he would "not return to the Belgian national team under this management".

Tedesco was dismissed in January after the weak European Championship and an equally unsatisfactory Nations League fall. This paved the way for Courtois' return.

However, the Belgian national team cannot rest easy: Koen Casteels, who had risen to become the new number one after the scandal between Tedesco and Courtois, has now announced that he no longer wants to play for the national team. The long-serving Wolfsburg goalkeeper shows little understanding for Courtois being welcomed "with open arms".