Belgium goalkeeper Koen Casteels has quit the national team in protest at the impending return to the squad of rival Thibaut Courtois.
Casteels has been Belgium’s first choice over the last 18 months while Courtois refused to play after a spat with former coach Domenico Tedesco but with Belgium appointing Rudi Garcia as their coach in January, Courtois has said he is ready to return.
“It’s strange that the football association has turned 180 degrees and is rolling out the red carpet and welcoming him back with open arms,” Casteels told the Belgian podcast MidMid, aired on Sunday (via ESPN).
Courtois refused to play under Tedesco after a row over the captaincy in mid-2023 and it was Casteels who kept goal at last year’s European Championship in Germany, where Belgium were eliminated in the round of 16.
Casteels, who spent most of his career in the Bundesliga but now plays in Saudi Arabia, was Courtois’ long-time understudy.
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The 32-year-old Courtois, with 102 caps and rated one of the best keepers in world football, has since met with Garcia and last month said he was keen to return to the national team.
“First of all, I think it’s a bit strange that Courtois can decide for himself whether he can come back,” Casteels said.
“It is not so much towards Thibaut, but mainly towards the football association. That does not fit in with the standards and values that I have about what a team sport or a sporting organisation should have.
“As of today, I am no longer available [for the national team],” he added.
9 Comments
Egungu Dr behaviour as soon as we triumph with Chelle’s appointment he vanished to into oblivion.
“Usuofia in America”… LMAOoooo, you who have remained on CSN like a maggot on spoilt beans, please tell us, what meaningful contributions have you made since my absence…..???
Look at this charlatan and tribal bigot who was campaigning for his tin-god Amuneke (who by the way is kissing the dust with Heartland in the same league where the likes of Ikorodu and Remo are flying high…..Thank God we dodged that bullet) now using the word “WE” in the case of Chelle’s appointment…..LMAOOoo….You and who…????
“Usuofia in America” in his usual character wants to lay claim to the ownership of Chelle like he always wants to grab credit and clout for things in was in clear opposition of.
It’s apparent your brain was in a coma all the while when I’ve been advocating for the employment of other African coaches (since racists like you and your god Odegbami cannot stand white-skinned coaches) who have shown enough competence to manage senior-level football as SE coaches over your incompetent and jobless ex-internationals who only sit in their parlours with their empty CVs waiting for piece jobs from the NFF. Even Chelle with his limited experience already had close to 10yrs senior coaching experience and was actively employed with a professional club in Morrocco at the time the NFF went head-hunting him
Obviously, even in 2025, I still torment you mentally, despite not commenting on this site since the turn of the year. You hardly sleep well at night ey…….LMAOoo. Pls go for therapy as soon as you can afford it ehn. Dr.Drey has lived rent free in your head for too long……LMAOooo.
In your oxygen-deficient brain made you think Dr.Drey vanished into oblivion simply because it is too weak to wrap itself around the fact that unlike you, Dr.Drey speaks because he has something to say and not because he has to say something.
Hopefully, someday you will regain your long-lost sanity. The universe will continue to pray for you ehn.
The last time you claimed Dr Drey had gone to the grave…..LMAOoo….today Dr.Drey has vanished into oblivion……LMAOooo. Whatever god(s) you worship is obviously a false god…….Its over 6 years ago you prayed thrice here on CSN that I should die…….Hello….Dr.Drey isn’t going nowhere any soon. Go and weep your eyes out over that.
Welcome back, Dr. Drey.
Hehehe zombie has come up with a new fraudulent behaviour and lies. Lie that you were not against Chelle’s appointment but rather in support of Tom. I thought you will smoke out of your rat hole after Chelle loses is first match God forbid but you can’t hold back but come at me with your lies again.
Shame was the reason you didn’t know how to come at me but hide around playing dumb waiting for bad news before you talk your propaganda and lies. Chelle is my ownership you can go back to oblivion or better still visit your oracle to fail him so you can come at your nightmarish Chima.
Hahahaha…wretched fool is seriously traumatized……LMAOOo. He has been hit below the belt. Dr.Drey is back with a sucker punch…..LMAOoo. He cant not even make any sense of what he himself is writing anymore……LMAOoo.
Pls write in your native language next time, since you are now finding it hard to express yourself in English ehn….we will look for someone to assist you with translations because you have made ZERO sense with these heaps of dung you’ve vomitted here
Nkita……Instead of barking around like a dog that you are, why not go and copy and paste where I was ever against Chelle’s appointment.
Its not too distant in the past chelle was appointed. CSN doesn’t delete posted comments
Grown up Fool….!!!
You seem to be suffering from disruptive amnesia. Chelle was only appointed this year….and this is my first time dropping comments on this forum this year. So I wonder where you ever read me commenting against the appointment of Eric Chelle……LMAOooo. Imbecile. Who curse you with this kind rhythmical madness no do well o.
Your tin-god Amuneke whom you were campaigning for is being rubbed in the mud in the NPFL…..LMAOooo. We don’t have degenerative memories here like you.
Wretched Theif is trying to lay claim to Chelle here….LMAOoo. Shameless Liar.
Like I said before and will firmly re-iterate because your memory is none existent, I am the first on this forum to advocate for the employment of African coaches for the SE if they are found competent enough, over incompetent, lazy and entitled ex-internationals whose CVs cannot get them jobs elsewhere. I have severally sounded out the likes of Pitso, Cisse, Ibengue, Walid, Rhulani etc here. And now that Chelle too has worked hard to put himself in the picture, it only further advanced my belief and position in competence over nepotism.
My position has been clear to every sane person who reads this forum….except for Olodo Osuofia like you of course.
So if you are looking for lies to tell against Dr.Drey do it with proof or forever keep your filthy gutters shut. You don’t have to keep disgracing yourself in public with cheap white lies all because you are trying to chase clout.
Your lying habits have refused to leave you since the days of KON….we are talking of over 15yrs now.
No wonder they say a fool at 40 is a fool forever.
Meanwhile, another South African ex-international Benni McCarthy was announced last week as Kenya’s national team coach. Senegalese Cisse as Libya’s Coach, Algerian Amrouche as Rwanda’s coach, Ghanian Kwesi Appiah is coaching Libya. Contine licking the anus of your lazy ex-internationals ehn….don’t advice them to dust their CVs, gather work experience and start competing for jobs out there.
Unlike you, I’ll rather be in oblivion than constitute a daily nuisance in public.
This news Is neither about Eric Chelle, nor about the SE or Nigeria, yet you senselessly had to look for a way to seek attention by attaching things that are off-point and completely wide off the mark to it….of course because even in Dr.Drey’s absence, you are still heavily mentally tormented and psychologically traumatized…….LMAOoooo
I told you to point out any sensible contribution(s) you have made on this forum all through the period when I was in “oblivion” but you cant remember any…….LMAOOoo.
Just to search, copy and paste the meaningful contributions you have made on CSN in 3 months and let the readers see has become a problem for you
Of what use then is your being alive….????
Anyway welcome back from Oblivion dr drey Aka Mr Ibu aka Egungu.
Instead of barking around like a dog, why not go and copy and paste where I was ever against Chelle’s appointment.
Its not too distant in the past chelle was appointed. CSN doesn’t delete posted comments
Grown up Fool….!!!
You seem to be suffering from disruptive amnesia. Chelle was only appointed this year….and this is my first time dropping comments on this forum this year. So I wonder where you ever read me commenting against the appointment of Eric Chelle……LMAOooo. Imbecile. Who curse you with this kind rhythmical madness no do well o.
Your tin-god Amuneke whom you were campaigning for is being rubbed in the mud in the NPFL…..LMAOooo. We don’t have degenerative memories here like you.
Wretched Theif is trying to lay claim to Chelle here….LMAOoo. Shameless Liar.
Like I said before and will firmly re-iterate because your memory is none existent, I am the first on this forum to advocate for the employment of African coaches for the SE if they are found competent enough, over incompetent, lazy and entitled ex-internationals whose CVs cannot get them jobs elsewhere. I have severally sounded out the likes of Pitso, Cisse, Ibengue, Walid, Rhulani etc here. And now that Chelle too has worked hard to put himself in the picture, it only further advanced my belief and position in competence over nepotism.
My position has been clear to every sane person who reads this forum….except for Olodo Osuofia like you of course.
So if you are looking for lies to tell against Dr.Drey do it with proof or forever keep your filthy gutters shut. You don’t have to keep disgracing yourself in public with cheap white lies all because you are trying to chase clout.
Your lying habits have refused to leave you since the days of KON….we are talking of over 15yrs now.
No wonder they say a fool at 40 is a fool forever.
Meanwhile, another South African ex-international Benni McCarthy was announced last week as Kenya’s national team coach. Senegalese Cisse as Libya’s Coach, Algerian Amrouche as Rwanda’s coach, Ghanian Kwesi Appiah is coaching Libya. Contine licking the anus of your lazy ex-internationals ehn….don’t advice them to dust their CVs, gather work experience and start competing for jobs out there.
Unlike you, I’ll rather be in oblivion than constitute a daily nuisance in public.
This news Is neither about Eric Chelle, nor about the SE or Nigeria, yet you senselessly had to look for a way to seek attention by attaching things that are off-point and completely wide off the mark to it….of course because even in Dr.Drey’s absence, you are still heavily mentally tormented and psychologically traumatized…….LMAOoooo
I told you to point out any sensible contribution(s) you have made on this forum all through the period when I was in “oblivion” but you cant remember any…….LMAOOoo.
Just to search, copy and paste the meaningful contributions you have made on CSN in 3 months and let the readers see has become a problem for you
Of what use then is your being alive….????
Take it easy oga Drey, the small boy was just missing you ni ooo!