Sometimes it takes courage when you’re a coach, especially when establishing a hierarchy for your goalkeepers. At the head of Brazil, Tite, for example, had the guts to give the keys to the truck to Alisson, to the detriment of Ederson. A radical choice that Mauricio Pochettino was unable to make at PSG, opting for an alternation between Keylor Navas and Gianluigi Donnarumma. But quickly, the Argentinian realized that this option would clash with everyone’s egos, and he then decided, propelling the Italian as number one the following season.
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We haven’t gotten there yet in Madrid, but Carlo Ancelotti will still have to face a similar headache at the end of the season. That of defining who will keep the Real Madrid cages for a possible Champions League final. On one side, the Ukrainian Andriy Lunin, almost impeccable since taking official office in place of Kepa in January. On the other, Thibaut Courtois, one of the best goalkeepers in Europe over the last 10 years, and returning from a serious knee injury in recent weeks (he then tore his meniscus in March but is back).
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Courtois will play against Cadiz this weekend
“Courtois will play tomorrow against Cadiz (this Saturday), and Lunin against Bayern on Wednesday in the C1 semi-final second leg», Declared Carlo Ancelotti this Friday at a press conference. So far, it’s difficult to be clearer. But what will happen next, particularly in the Champions League, if there was one (Real Madrid was held up by Bayern Munich in the first leg)? In recent years, certain coaches, like Antoine Kombouaré, have been faced with similar situations in the Cup. Impeccable throughout the 2022 Coupe de France campaign, Rémy Descamps was relegated to the bench at the Stade de France, in favor of number one Alban Lafont (Nantes won 1-0 against Nice). Same story the following year with this time a humiliation suffered against Toulouse (5-1). Injustice or not towards goalkeeper number 2? This decision remains at the discretion of the coaches.
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In this case, Carlo Ancelotti will have to pull on the heartstrings to convince his “sacrificed” if there was a final. Invited to raise the subject this Friday at a press conference, the Italian preferred to kick in: “We are only thinking about the final we have on Wednesday against Bayern. We don’t think about what might happen in a month. We will see. But hopefully we can think about it, it will mean we have reached the Champions final in London.” With a more than successful interim in the Madrid goals, notably during the quarter-final where he disgusted Manchester City on penalties, Lunin could experience a downgrade as a humiliation. Courteous, not the type to hide his moods, as evidenced by his open conflict with the Belgian coach, Domenico Tedesco, who did not wish to appoint him captain, could also drag out his spleen. So good luck to Carlo Ancelotti.
Pub. THE 04/05/2024 12:59
Update 05/04/2024 1:39 p.m.
