Thibaut Courtois puts all the blame on Carlo Ancelotti after the elimination: “He tells us…”

Following Real Madrid’s elimination against Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-finals, Thibaut Courtois made a statement that appeared to blame Carlo Ancelotti — perhaps unintentionally.

A 3-0 defeat on Tuesday 8 April at the Emirates Stadium followed by a 2-1 loss this Wednesday at the Santiago Bernabéu against Mikel Arteta’s side — that’s the disastrous record for Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals. Despite the star-studded squad, Carlo Ancelotti’s team failed to impress. Beaten in both legs, the reigning European champions have relinquished their crown and will likely end the season in the worst possible way. When the time came to reflect, Thibaut Courtois, solid in goal this Wednesday, didn’t hold back from speaking some harsh truths.

Courtois’ explosive truths

Approached by the microphones of UEFA’s official channel after Madrid’s elimination, the 32-year-old Belgian goalkeeper immediately acknowledged the superiority of the Gunners — something Lucas Vázquez had tried to downplay just minutes earlier. “We lost against a superior Arsenal side and we have to accept that. We put in a lot of crosses, but this year we don’t have a Joselu to win those duels. We need to analyse what we can improve and be self-critical,” Courtois initially stated.

In his assessment, the outspoken Belgian international didn’t hide his frustration at the lack of coherent play from his team. According to Courtois, relying on individual talent has its limits. “I feel like we are a team, but sometimes we need to build more collective play and not do everything individually. If Vinícius or Mbappé are double-marked… It might work once, but not three or four times. We need to analyse that. If we want to go further, we must improve in that area to remain strong both offensively and defensively.”

When asked about Carlo Ancelotti’s future at the helm of the Madrid side, Courtois was reluctant to say too much. “There’s no doubt about Ancelotti. His message gets through, and we do on the pitch what he asks of us,” he concluded. However, when a player says they’re strictly following the manager’s instructions — instructions that clearly aren’t working — it’s obvious that a change is needed.