Paris (AP) – In the midst of his teammates, who are highly decorated in the premier class, goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is finally hoping for his first Champions League title.
“Now I’m finally on the right side,” said the Belgian with a laugh: “Because we know that if Real are in the Champions League final, they’ll win the title.”
The background: Courtois lost the final with Atlético Madrid against Real in 2014. When he joined Los Blancos in 2018, they had just won the title four times in five years, with Courtois they are now in the final for the first time in four years. Real have won all of their previous seven Champions League finals.
Eight Madrilenians, including the 2014 world champion Toni Kroos, can win the title for the fifth time on Saturday. Only ex-real star Cristiano Ronaldo has won that many since the Champions League was introduced. Only real icon Francisco Gento, who won the European Cup six times, won more in the most important European Cup. “It doesn’t matter whether we can win the first title or the fifth, we are all motivated to make history,” said Courtois.