Thibaut Courtois produced one of the all time great goalkeeping displays in a European Cup final.
Real Madrid keeper Courtois, 30, made at least three incredible saves, his late stop to deny Mo Salah was surely the best of all as he looked like a man possessed. Not since Petr Cech’s stunning display to help Chelsea win the Champions League in 2012, has a keeper dominated a final like Courtois did in Paris.
Ten years ago, Cech saved an extra time penalty from Arjen Robben to take it to a shoot-out where he saved two spot kicks to allow Didier Drogba to score the winning kick to beat Bayern Munich in their own stadium. That has long been regarded as one of the best displays but Courtois’ heroics have elevated him to that sort of status as he was easily the best player on the pitch and his man of the match performance will go down as the stuff of legend.
But what is interesting is the fact that it was driven by revenge and having a point to prove - particularly in England. Courtois had seven years at Chelsea - albeit including three years on loan at Atletico Madrid - and that is where his perception comes from.
After the final in Paris, Courtois admitted he does not believe he gets the respect or credit he deserves in England. Rather like the Real Madrid team in truth. When collecting his man of the match award, Courtois said: “There was a magazine, in March, that didn't put me in the top 10 [goalkeepers in the world]. I don't think they have to put me as number one but not to be put in the top 10 - it's strange.
‘"I guess it is to do with how I left Chelsea but I won twice the Premier League in England, I don’t think I ever really get recognised for it, especially after my first year with Madrid. A lot of people laughed at me but here I am as a winner so it is a nice comeback.”
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It would be easy to just accept the narrative or do what TV pundits do when a player wins man of the match. Just say they don’t get the credit they deserve. But generally you do get what you deserve. It is a bit like Ashley Cole’s England career. Not one journalist covering Cole thought he was underrated. He was England’s one truly world class player. Was he loved by the public? No. But that’s not the same thing.
Courtois perhaps suffers from the same issue. Anyone who has seen him this season, will say that he has been fantastic. He has been a key figure in Real Madrid winning the title by 13 points with several match winning displays. The Belgium No1 was good at Chelsea, had the potential to be the best in the world - but the feeling was that he could work harder and be more focused.
When Chelsea signed him as a teenager in 2011, he was regarded as the best prospect in world football. When he left in 2018, his contract was running down, it was in no way seen as the devastating blow compared to when Eden Hazard left a year later. But Courtois has taken that view of him, used it as inspiration and it has pushed him on again.
Maybe he needed that performance in Paris as some sort of marker to show the wider world but anyone who has been paying close attention will understand how good he has been. Don’t forget, without his incredible stop to deny Jack Grealish in the semi final - when Manchester City were already winning 1-0 in the second leg - Real Madrid would not have even got there in the first place.
Courtois deserves this recognition and glory as much as anyone else. He should not worry about being left out of any magazine articles again.
