Courtois, 200 LaLiga appearances for Real Madrid: “It's an honour to reach this milestone"
"This crest always demands we fight to the end," underlined the goalkeeper following the win over Mallorca.
Thibaut Courtois made his 200th LaLiga appearance for Real Madrid in the matchday 36 fixture against Mallorca. The goalkeeper has played a total of 282 games for our team, having won 131 in the competition to date.
Following the final whistle in the clash with Mallorca, the shot-stopper discussed his feelings on reaching the round figure: “I wish the number was higher but I missed out on some games with the injury last year. It's an honour for me to reach this milestone. I dreamed of being the Real Madrid goalkeeper ever since I was a kid. It's amazing to get to this figure in LaLiga, and to have won so many trophies. This hasn't been the best season in terms of titles but we're still working hard. I'm excited to keep playing in this crest for many more games to come."
The match
“The first half followed the pattern of our season, really. A bit of bad luck, they get their goal without doing too much. We created a lot of chances but struggled to put the ball in the back of the net. Leo Román's performance was fantastic. When it won't go in, you can get a bit despondent, but we found the equaliser in the end. Then they could have made it 1-2 and I saved the one-on-one, but we kept believing and fighting. What could be better than a Vallejo assist and a Jacobo goal?”
“It's amazing because these are the guys who are out here, and after a huge effort on Sunday and with loads of injuries, to keep fighting after a long season isn't easy. We showed belief. This crest always demands we fight to the end. Even if the gap to Barcelona is a lot, we'll keep believing until it's no longer mathematically possible."
Jacobo's goal
“Jacobo is a lovely guy, a real good lad. He was unfortunate with the two games he played against Leganés and Celta. He's kept working hard and I thought he looked comfortable and confident out there today. He did a great job, he came close a few times throughout the game. To see him score like that right at the end is amazing for the academy. There are lots of kids knocking at the door and when they're called upon, they deliver, like Raúl, Jacobo, Gonzalo, Víctor Muñoz. As madridistas, we should be immensely proud of our academy and keep believing in them.”
His morale
“It's not nice to concede four goals against Barcelona. I keep making saves, but it's tough when you can't win the game. You have to stay focused, and when they had that chance at 1-1, I had to be there to save the team. That's my role. Physically I feel good, I'm working hard to finish the season as strongly as possible and be in top shape for the Club World Cup, which is another goal of ours. We're heading into it with a real desire to win. It's the first edition and if you can win it, as Real Madrid, the best club in the world, then we have to give it our best."
Three LaLiga titles
Courtois' saves between the sticks have contributed to three league title wins to date (2020,2022 and 2024), since his arrival at our club seven seasons ago. His best campaign in terms of appearances came in 2020-21, when he was involved in all 38 fixtures. So far this term, the Belgian has played 30 times in the league.