Thibaut Courtois responds to suggestion Real Madrid players were behind Xabi Alonso's sacking
Reports had suggested that high-profile players, including Vinicius Junior and Federico Valverde, found Alonso’s reliance on video analysis and specific tactical drills tedious. However, Courtois drew on his experience working under Antonio Conte at Chelsea to illustrate that professional athletes are accustomed to such workloads regardless of their personal preferences."We worked hard. People were saying we didn't like the tactics, or the videos... Look, I had a coach like Antonio Conte who had us there for an hour every day, and it didn't matter, because we're professionals, work comes first," Courtois explained. "If I have to watch a half-hour video I'll do it. That's how you prepare for games. In the summer I talked to NFL players who are there all day from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. or 8 p.m. watching videos, and there's no problem."The goalkeeper concluded by reiterating that the squad's dedication should not be questioned by the media or the fans. "People have doubted our professionalism. The first months with Xabi went well, and suddenly we had a dip. That happens in football," Courtois noted, as the team looks to build on the momentum generated by Valverde's hat-trick against City when they face Elche in La Liga on Saturday.
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