Thibaut Courtois (33, Real Madrid) candidly expressed his feelings after suffering a crushing defeat to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
Courtois started as the starting goalkeeper for Real Madrid, who lost 0-4 to PSG in the semifinal of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, held at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on the 10th (Korea time).
Real conceded consecutive goals to Fabian Ruiz and Ousmane Dembélé in the 6th and 9th minutes of the first half due to repeated defensive mistakes. However, Real failed to change the momentum. In the 24th minute of the first half, they allowed another goal to Ruiz, completely losing the flow of the game, and conceded a decisive goal to Gonçalo Ramos in the 42nd minute of the second half.
After being eliminated from the Club World Cup, Courtois noted in an interview with DAZN, "They always start by pressing strongly. We need to face them with strong pressure from the front as per the coach's plan, but we couldn't do that."
He added, "The plan was to find space in front while maintaining possession of the ball. However, we struggled to maintain possession, and they effectively found players who were free from pressure. They created a lot of threats, especially in the first half."
Courtois said, "In the second half, the opponents reduced their pressure, allowing us to possess the ball more and create more opportunities. However, our finishing was not perfect." He emphasized, "Ultimately, those two early goals changed the flow of the match significantly. The opponents were better than us. It's a bitter defeat, but it's a loss from which we can learn."
Courtois remarked, "We are on a good path. Sometimes, we need a blow like this to correct ourselves and realize that there is still much work to be done. We need to rise to their level." He pointed out, "They are the Champions League winners, and this tournament is also excellent. It should be our goal for next season."
Courtois recalled, "There are aspects to analyze through video. From what I saw on the field, we were always slightly late. If the timing is off, everyone gets out of place. At that moment, the opponents run forward and we have to turn back. That takes time, and we get pushed back in the meantime."
He also added, "We were too far apart from them, and that was part of the problem." He noted, "If you give such a strong team too much space, it becomes a really difficult game."
[OSEN]