Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is unhappy with rumours the club is considering his former coaches Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho as potential replacements for Julen Lopetegui, according to reports.
The former Chelsea star, who completed a big money transfer to the Bernabeu in the summer, is said to have made some quite incredible comments regarding the pair, having worked under both coaches during his time at Stamford Bridge.
Current Real manager Lopetegui is under increasing pressure to deliver results, with the Spanish giants currently in seventh position in LaLiga, having only won four of their opening nine fixtures.
Spanish outlet El Pais published an article on Friday that includes a number of supposed comments from players and staff at Real, who are unhappy about the current situation at the club.
Courtois, in particular, is said to be unhappy that both Conte and Mourinho are reportedly on the club’s radar.
“I don’t believe it!” Courtois is said to have been heard saying. “I am the only one here that has worked with both Conte and Mourinho.
“I left London to not have to go through something like that again and now it turns out Conte is coming, and if not him, then Mourinho.”
It was also claimed the manager Courtois feels would be best suited to the top job at the Bernabeu is his national coach Roberto Martinez. The report goes onto say: ‘After being consulted about the possibility that Perez would consider a third option (beyond Conte and Mourinho), the Belgian said that Roberto Martinez would be the “perfect” Madrid manager.
It is claimed he highlighted that, in his opinion, he is “the best coach in the world”. He also said Martinez is like “a father” for the Belgian players and is a “wise man” that was on the verge of making them World champions in Russia.
“He said that if we hire Roberto Martinez then we won’t regret it”, it was confirmed within the club.’
Courtois is not alone
Courtois’ discontent at Real appears to be mirrored among the club’s playing staff, with an unnamed individual reported to have made the following comment inside the dressing room on Monday: “They want to mistreat the squad that won four Champions League titles after Mourinho first left.”
Another snippet from the article suggests that striker Karim Benzema is among those most opposed to the rumours suggesting Conte or Mourinho could soon be arriving at the club.
In the past, Benzema has explained that Mourinho once angered him during his first spell at Real, when he said that being forced to select the Frenchman because of an injury to former Real striker Gonzalo Higuain was like being forced to go hunting with a cat instead of a dog. Last year, in a documentary broadcast by Canal+ France (via AS), Benzema revealed that he was so annoyed with this comment that he had an hour-long chat with Mourinho at the time to explain his disappointment.
“I said what I had to say to him. We met for an hour,” Benzema continued, adding that he told Mourinho, “I am a footballer, you are my coach. I respect you, so you must respect me as a footballer.
“From then on there were no more stories of cats, or dogs or whatever.
“I am somewhat timid but if you are going to laugh at me, you’re going to have a confrontation with me.
“When things are talked about, everything goes better.”
A huge weekend beckons for Lopetegui and Madrid, who will take on Barcelona in the first El Clasico of the season on Sunday.
The post Thibaut Courtois is worried by Mourinho and Conte links to Real Madrid, says El Pais report appeared first on Squawka News.
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