Belgium keeper Casteels quits over impending return of Courtois

By Reuters

Belgium goalkeeper Koen Casteels has quit the national team in protest at the impending return to the squad of rival Thibaut Courtois.

Casteels has been Belgium’s first choice over the last 18 months while Courtois refused to play after a spat with former coach Domenico Tedesco but with Belgium appointing Rudi Garcia as their coach in January, Courtois has said he is ready to return.

“It’s strange that the football association has turned 180 degrees and is rolling out the red carpet and welcoming him back with open arms,” Casteels told the Belgian podcast MidMid, aired on Sunday.

Courtois refused to play under Tedesco after a row over the captaincy in mid-2023 and it was Casteels who kept goal at last year’s European Championship in Germany, where Belgium were eliminated in the last 16.

Casteels, who spent most of his career in the Bundesliga but now plays in Saudi