Thibaut Courtois (28 years old), one of the leaders of Belgium on the pitch and in the locker room, he spoke at the press conference prior to tomorrow's decisive match (8:45 pm CET, Be Mad and UEFA TV) on Tuesday against Denmark, in which if your team wins or draws it will be in the final four of the League of Nations. The goalkeeper took the opportunity to deny that he had reached an agreement in the past (then Ter Stegen would be announced) with Javier Bordas to sign for Barcelona, as the former director had assured hours before in El Partidazo de COPE.
If you enjoyed the defensive work of your teammates on Wednesday: “Of course. Lukaku was the first pressing, Mertens the second …”.
Caution so that it does not happen like against Switzerland in 2018: “We have to think that we are not classified. They are a good team and we have to start well and do what we have to do.”
Hazard: “We have contact. He is in quarantine, there is no rush because he has to be negative. It is a shame for him, also for the group, but we have enough quality to do what we have to do.”
The match against England and the semi-finals with France at the 2018 World Cup: “You can't compare at all (the win against England) to a defeat in a World Cup semi-final. We won, we defended well in the second half. You can't compare it.
Motivation: “Coming to the national team is always a motivation. Roberto Martínez found good solutions by letting some arrive later. Hopefully we can go to the final to four.”
If the harsh precedent of Switzerland in 2018 is present: “I only mention it because you ask. As a group we know that it was a bad game, although we started well. At that moment maybe we said that we were classified because we knew that we could even lose by two goals and we are a team that does not usually fit in much. . And we fit five. At this point, if you relax a little and the other team is top, you can lose. That's what we learned and tomorrow it can't happen. We have to be focused, at full intensity and pressing from the first minute last. If we do it, I'm sure we'll win. It wasn't a good day, but we learned. Obviously it wasn't as important as in a World Cup or a European Championship and sometimes it's better for this to happen in qualifications than in a big tournament. “
Denmark: “We also play with them in the Euro Cup. They are top, a good team and they taught it at Wembley. If they did it there, they can also come here and do the same. We have to be prepared, know their strengths and where we can hurt them. “.
Eriksen: “We know we can't give him much time with the ball because he has skill, a good shot, a good pass … We have to be careful with him and with all the players.”
Goals until 2022: “Winning a great tournament is the dream of everyone who is with the national team, but first comes tomorrow, then go to the final four, then the Euro, then that final phase and then the World Cup.”
Hazard: “I have contact with him. He tested positive and he is disappointed not to be able to play in Valencia and then come here, but hopefully the virus is almost gone and he is ready to play the next game, in Villarreal.”
Agreement with Barcelona: “I don't think I need to comment on what people say in the newspapers and others, everyone knows that my dream has always been to play for Madrid, I am happy there. If I had played in all the places that have been said, I would have been in 20-30 teams. It is not true that I had an agreement. I belonged to Chelsea, I went to Atleti on loan, I had to go back to Chelsea and played there. I don't know why this has been said, but it is not true. “
Dream: “We have the ambition to win a great tournament, the team showed it against England. Of course, there are other great teams, but we have the squad to finally make this dream come true.”