Real Madrid’s Thibaut Courtois dismissed any personal issues with Lamine Yamal, stating the Barcelona star’s pre-Clasico “cheating” accusations only motivated his team further.
Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has weighed in on the controversy surrounding Barcelona star Lamine Yamal’s pre-match comments ahead of the first El Clásico of the season, stating the remarks served to motivate the Madrid squad.
According to a report from SI.com, the scuffle after the final whistle of the El Clásico stemmed from Yamal’s comments made a few days prior, in which he suggested Real Madrid “‘cheat’ and ‘steal’ when they play” by pressuring referees.
Speaking in a recent interview with “El Partidazo” on the COPE radio network, Courtois maintained that he harbors no ill will toward the young player off the pitch.
He confirmed this when asked about the post-match scuffle. “That stays on the field. If Carvajal or Dean (Huijsen) are on the national team tomorrow, there will be zero problems with Lamine. If I see him in a restaurant, I’ll say hello. There’s no problem between Lamine and me.”
However, the goalkeeper admitted that Yamal’s words provided extra motivation for the rivalry match. Courtois said, “Lamine is a great player, but in the end, he spoke out to inflame the match, and the press jumped all over him. We needed that atmosphere, we needed that fire.”
The Belgian keeper added that the rivalry goes beyond the pitch, stating, “They’re an enemy, and we have to go after them because even when they’ve won, they haven’t respected us. A Clásico is always motivating, but hearing things like that motivates you even more.”