Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois denied that his teammates fought in a dressing room, and warned the insider to the press at the 2022 World Cup.
France L’Equipe reported that Romelu Lukaku taken action when Kevin De Bruyne, Jan Vertonghen, and Eden Hazard got into a fight in the dressing room following Belgium’s 0-2 loss to Morocco in the second round of Group F on November 27.
“The problem is that the press reports are not always correct,” Courtois told a press conference before the final group stage match against Croatia.
“We don’t need to know where the announcer is, but if we do, it will be his last day in the national team.” Courtois added.
The 30-year-old goalkeeper said that after each loss, it is normal for the players to be angry, but inside information being spread out is unacceptable.
“There is no problem in the team. Someone wants us to have internal conflicts. After each defeat, no one is happy, but it will bring the whole team closer together because we know we have to give our best in the next match.” Courtois said.
Besides Courtois, the main character in the rumor is midfielder Hazard is said to have talked to reporters to find someone to spread the news, but his offer was rejected. He also confirmed that there was no conflict with Kevin De Bruyne.
“Nothing happened in the dressing room. Only the head coach spoke. I spoke to Kevin and he believes in the whole team.” Hazard said.
Hazard, De Bruyne, and Courtois are considered the golden generation of Belgian football. They reached the quarterfinals of the 2014 World Cup and won the third place.
In the 1998 World Cup, they drew all three of their games against the Netherlands, Mexico, and South Korea before being eliminated from the group stage.
