Courtois spent 7 years at Stamford Bridge, winning four trophies before joining La Liga giant, Real Madrid in 2018
By Kehinde Okeowo
Former Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has appealed to The Blues supporters not to boo him when his club, Real Madrid come up against them in this season’s Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday night.
The Real Madrid goalkeeper who is expected to be in goal at Stamford Bridge for The Blancos during the double-header encounter made the plea during the pre-match press conference.
Madrid travel to west London to face Chelsea on Wednesday night, aiming to avenge their defeat to the holders in the 2020-21 semi-finals.
The stadium was empty when the two sides met last year at Stamford Bridge due to Covid-19 restriction, but it will be full this time around, and Courtois is unsure of the type of reception he’ll get from the home supporters.
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According to the Belgian international, since both sides are trying to win, Chelsea supporters may be willing to do anything it takes to secure victory and that might just include booing him to make his night uncomfortable.
Courtois said, “I hope that they (supporters) don’t boo me, but you never know.
“I hope it’s a happy return to Stamford Bridge. We’re now rivals. They’ll want to win and the same goes for me.
“So I’m not expecting any applause from the fans.”
Courtois spent 7 years at Stamford Bridge and won four trophies during his time. He, however, joined The Blancos in 2018 after pushing for a transfer, when he became aware of Madrid’s interest.
The La Liga club spent a reported £35 million ($46m) on the highly-rated keeper and he has since helped secure a Liga title and Club World Cup, recording 69 clean sheets in 170 appearances along the way