Following Real Madrid’s crushing 3-0 loss to Arsenal, Thibaut Courtois didn’t hold back in his post-match comments. While he didn’t name anyone directly, the Belgian goalkeeper clearly blamed the costly mistakes made by David Alaba and Eduardo Camavinga, both of whom conceded the free kicks that Declan Rice brilliantly converted.
It was a disastrous night for Real Madrid at the Emirates Stadium. Completely outplayed in the second half of their Champions League quarter-final first leg, the team collapsed. Two key fouls sparked the downfall: the first, committed by Alaba while trying to contain the unstoppable Bukayo Saka, led to a centrally placed free kick. Rice stepped up and fired a shot off the post and in—Courtois had no chance. Then, in the 70th minute, Camavinga, also struggling against Saka’s pace, gave away a nearly identical foul. Rice, full of confidence, struck again.
Courtois voices his frustration
Speaking after the match, Courtois didn’t mince words: “In the second half, we forgot how to play good football,” he said coldly. “Rice’s goals came from avoidable mistakes. Maybe we shouldn’t have committed them.” While he avoided naming individuals, his comments clearly pointed to Alaba and Camavinga as the culprits. It’s unusual for Courtois—normally calm and diplomatic—to speak so directly, but the defeat had clearly shaken him.
These remarks didn’t come out of nowhere. Madrid’s defense has looked vulnerable for weeks, and criticism of Carlo Ancelotti’s decisions has been growing. That Courtois, one of the team’s senior figures, would publicly highlight internal errors suggests a deeper problem. Players like Jude Bellingham and Camavinga showed visible frustration during the match, hinting at tension within the squad. Pressure is mounting on Ancelotti.
Meanwhile, Rice offered a straightforward breakdown of his goals: “I saw the wall, saw Courtois’s position… At first, I was going to cross it, but I changed my mind. For the second, I just had the confidence.” Two fouls, two moments of brilliance, two goals—and Real Madrid left reeling. When the goalkeeper starts calling out his defenders, it’s a sign that the locker room is on edge. Courtois’s comments could be a wake-up call—or the beginning of a deeper crisis at the club.
