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BEYOND THE BRAWL: THIBAUT COURTOIS REVEALS NO HARD FEELINGS TOWARD YAMAL NOW

Real Madrid's Thibaut Courtois responds to Lamine Yamal's "cheating" accusations, stating there's "no problem" with the Barcelona star and he'd greet him publicly, but the comments fueled Madrid's Clásico motivation.

Beyond the Brawl: Thibaut Courtois Reveals No Hard Feelings Toward Yamal Now
Courtois Admits Yamal's Words Motivated Real Madrid More

Thibaut Courtois, the goalkeeper for Real Madrid, possesses a strong character and isn’t afraid to express his thoughts. This was evident on the field a few weeks ago during the opening El Clásico of the season.

Lamine Yamal, a prominent player for Barcelona, accused Real Madrid of "cheating" and "stealing" in their matches, which triggered the incident. He claimed they exert pressure on referees to gain unjust calls.

Recently, Courtois shared his perspective on Yamal and how he would react if they met in a public setting.

Thibaut Courtois does not see Lamine Yamal as an issue.


After the final whistle of El Clásico, Courtois was questioned about the altercation in an interview with "El Partidazo" on the COPE radio network. Yamal's statements sparked the controversy. Nevertheless, he believes that what occurred on the field remains confined to that environment.

"That remains on the pitch. There wouldn't be any problems with Lamine if Carvajal or Dean (Huijsen) were called up for the national team tomorrow. If I were to see him at a restaurant, I would greet him. There’s no problem between Lamine and me."

However, Courtois admitted that Yamal’s comments were meant to add excitement to the El Clásico. In a rivalry match where both teams were already eager to win, this intensified the motivation for the Real Madrid squad, Thibaut Courtois stated.

"When we’re calm and in a safe environment, I can express ideas I might not usually share. Lamine is an excellent player, but ultimately, he made remarks that ignited the game, and the media capitalised on it. We desired that intensity, that kind of atmosphere. They are our rivals, and we need to pursue them because they haven’t treated us with respect, even after their victories. Although a Clásico always brings motivation, comments like that make you even more determined."

Thibaut Courtois mentioned that due to an injury, he was unable to play for Belgium. He indicated that he should be ready for this weekend’s match against Elche.

"I will be fine for the weekend. Although it was just a minor injury, I needed time to heal and receive medical care. The buzz in Belgium caught me off guard since it made it seem like I was leaving the national team, which is false. I wasn’t fit to play, so even if I had played for Real Madrid, I wouldn’t have participated." Thibaut Courtois

TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD FITNESS CONFIRMED BY ALONSO AFTER INTERNATIONAL SETBACK NOW

Xabi Alonso says Trent Alexander-Arnold's form has improved after an international break of intensive training, giving Real Madrid "more options" at right-back with Dani Carvajal still injured.

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Arnold is In Good Shape Following a Disappointing England National Snub

Xabi Alonso has highlighted that Trent Alexander-Arnold is presently "in better form," attributing this improvement to the extensive training he undertook during the international break. This enhancement, according to the Real Madrid head coach, provides him with "more options" for the right defensive position.

Earlier this month, Thomas Tuchel omitted the full-back from the England squad for the FIFA World Cup qualifiers due to injuries that have affected the beginning of his inaugural La Liga season. Meanwhile, fellow right-back Dani Carvajal remains out with a long-term injury.

The last time Alexander-Arnold started a match was over two months ago, during Madrid’s 2-1 win against Marseille in the UEFA Champions League, but he played only five minutes before suffering a hamstring injury.

Since then, his appearances have been minimal, with just nine minutes of play in Real’s 1-0 defeat against his former team Liverpool on November 4, where he faced jeers from the home supporters. He also played merely seven minutes in a goalless draw at Rayo Vallecano earlier this month.

"In this international break, we have worked with Trent, both as a group and individually, due to the injuries he’s faced," Alonso shared during a press conference on Saturday ahead of Madrid’s matchup with Elche.

"Trent being in better form opens up more possibilities for us in that area, along with other players available. Fede [Valverde] is still an option at right-back, and Trent is in good condition now. [Eder] Militao has recently played as a right-back with Brazil, and Raul [Asencio] can also fill that role. We have several alternatives."

Recent matches against Liverpool and Rayo Vallecano have prompted criticism, as the team struggled to score in both contests, with striker Kylian Mbappe failing to produce a single shot on target across the two games.

Barcelona’s 4-0 triumph over Athletic Club, marking their return to the Camp Nou after two years, has pushed Real down from the top position in La Liga, but any positive result against Elche will see them regain the lead in the standings.

“We couldn’t find the net against Liverpool or Vallecas, but it’s not solely on Kylian; it’s a team effort,” Alonso defended the forward. “When we struggle to score, we need to explore other avenues: utilising wingers, midfielders, and set pieces. . . I do not doubt that the goals will come back.”

“We understand our position and the expectations at Real Madrid. We push ourselves hard after every match. There’s no need to weigh it down any further than that.”

While Militao’s injury during international play was disappointing, Alonso confirmed that fellow central defender Antonio Rudiger is nearing a return.

“It’s great news that [Rudiger] is making progress,” Alonso noted. “He likely won’t be available for tomorrow’s match, but we’ll assess the situation for the game in Athens [against Olympiacos]. His quality and experience are vital for us.

“Militao’s injury is not severe, but we will miss him, and having Toni back as soon as possible is very encouraging.”
Every one of the international players is in good spirits, and the environment is positive. As we travel to Elche, it’s important to note that although they are a newly promoted team, they are performing at a commendable level.

This match will be challenging. The situation hasn’t changed; we are eager to take on these matches in La Liga and the Champions League, as they hold great significance. We must have the full support of our squad.

ARDA GULER SLAMS LIVERPOOL'S SZOBOSZLAI DESPITE REAL MADRID TRANSFER INTEREST

Real Madrid is reportedly interested in Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai, despite a public feud with current Madrid player Arda Guler. Meanwhile, Liverpool is progressing in talks to secure Szoboszlai with a new long-term contract.

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Güler's Judgment Complicates Real Madrid Move

A news story in Spain says that Arda Guler, a Real Madrid player who plays offence, doesn't think highly of Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai, even though Real Madrid is interested in him, based on what Fabrizio Romano said about the player's future.

Even though Liverpool is a very important team, Madrid has kept trying to get players from them. Real Madrid convinced Trent Alexander-Arnold to turn down new offers from Liverpool so he could move to the Santiago Bernabeu in the summer of 2025. They are also trying to get Ibrahima Konate for free when his contract as a French defender ends next summer.

Real Madrid has also been mentioned as a possible team for Dominik Szoboszlai. Hir TV, a news source in Hungary, said earlier this month that Real Madrid and Manchester City might try to get the midfield player if he does not agree to a new deal with Liverpool.

Defensa Central, a news source that focuses on Real Madrid, has now backed up that claim, saying that the powerful teams in Spain and Europe are "starting to think about signing" Szoboszlai.

The source says that Arda Guler, who plays offence for Madrid and Turkey, "would not like it because he thinks the Hungarian player is too proud and talks too much."

Defensa Central also talked about the argument between Guler and Szoboszlai in March 2025, saying that Guler "will not be very happy when he finds out that one of the people who has bothered him the most might end up being his teammate" at Real Madrid.

The headline about Szoboszlai says, "Arda Guler does not get along with him, but Real Madrid is planning to sign him."

What happened between Dominik Szoboszlai and Arda Guler?


In the UEFA Nations League Play-offs A/B, Turkey beat Hungary 3-1 in the first game on March 20, 2025, and then won the second game 3-0 three days later, making the total score 6-1.

Because of this, Turkey moved up to UEFA Nations League A, while Hungary moved down to League B.

At the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Guler scored the second goal for Turkey in the second game. He celebrated in a way that caused controversy by telling Szoboszlai to be quiet.

Szoboszlai was doing well for Liverpool while Guler was struggling to get playing time under Carlo Ancelotti, who was the manager of Madrid at the time.

The Hungarian midfielder, who later won the Premier League with Liverpool the season before, made fun of Guler on social media.

Szoboszlai wrote "1088," which was the number of minutes the Turkish player had played for Madrid at that point, in a comment on Instagram under a picture of him being told to be quiet by Guler.

Guler responded to Szoboszlai by sharing the same picture on his Instagram story with the message, "This guy is a joke." Wouldn't six goals be enough to make you quiet?

Guler also made a small change to the scoreboard graphic in the picture he shared, as The Liverpool Echo reported at the time.

It was changed to show the 3-0 score of the game, highlight his goal, and jokingly give Hungary's score to "Szoboszlai, 1 Instagram comment."
What goals does Liverpool have for Dominik Szoboszlai?
Szoboszlai's agreement with Liverpool ends in the summer of 2028, and the current Premier League champions do not plan to sell the Hungarian international midfield player.

The 25-year-old midfield player, who cost €70 million (£61.5 million, $81 million) to join Liverpool from RB Leipzig in the summer of 2023, has become an important player on manager Arne Slot's team.

Earlier in the month, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano shared that Liverpool is talking about a new agreement with Szoboszlai.

"Liverpool is working on new agreements—Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai," Romano said on his YouTube channel.

Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai have already had some early talks, and discussions between Liverpool and Szoboszlai about a new agreement are currently progressing.

"Let me be clear about something. The discussions have not been finalised yet. Although Dominik Szoboszlai and Liverpool are still in talks, we have not reached a verbal agreement.

So, the conversation is still happening. It is big news that Liverpool is willing to give him a raise.

Even though Dominik Szoboszlai was already paid well, his performances have been excellent.

"Gravenberch is also playing very well, so Liverpool wants to keep both players for a long time, but recently, discussions with Dominik Szoboszlai have progressed, and Liverpool is pushing forward."

There is now a conversation and a negotiation taking place. Again, the negotiation is not close to being done.

"There is still more to do, so it is not a done deal, but there is a very good connection, and Liverpool is trying to move quickly with Dominik Szoboszlai.

We will see how long it takes, but the discussion is still happening.

Szoboszlai is doing great. He was fantastic last season. He is playing in every game and consistently this season, which makes him even more amazing.

Szoboszlai was often named the best player even when Liverpool was losing, so the team is doing very well, and the goal is to try to move forward.

"So, we will see what happens next in the discussions between Szoboszlai, his representatives, and Liverpool. Deal in progress, talks ongoing."

Romano said on Threads earlier in the week: "Liverpool has offered Szobo a new deal." 

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