Courtois defends importance of goalkeepers

Speaking to 'L'Equipe', Real Madrid goalkeeper wanted to speak about the 2022 Yashin Trophy which he won last Monday at the Ballon d'Or ceremony organised by 'France Football'.

The Belgian international was named the best goalkeeper of the 2021-22 season: "Last year, winning the Champions League wasn't just thanks to Vinicius, Valverde, Benzema or Rodrygo. It was also thanks to Courtois".

He also added: "The modern keeper isn't there just to prevent goals. Here at Real Madrid, I have to start off the plays, it's me who, with the first pass, decides how we're going to start off the attack, or how we're going to get out of the opponent's pressure. Nowadays, you're basically a play-maker, goalkeepers are much more important than what you think. I'm happy when I have the ball at my feet and I can pass it well. When they say that the goal started from your move, and your good pass, that's what I like".

"Without a good goalkeeper you can't win trophies. And with awards, that is often forgotten. People are quicker to vote for a striker who scores goals than for a goalkeeper. It's a shame, but we'll keep proving our worth", Courtois continued.

"It's often written all over the newspapers when it's a keeper that makes a mistake. Whenever he makes the smallest of errors, they destroy him and say it was him that lost the game. Sometimes, we forget that the striker may have missed five or six sitters", the Madrid keeper stated.