Thibaut Courtois is hoping that Chelsea fans don’t boo him when he returns to Stamford Bridge with Real Madrid on Wednesday night.
The goalkeeper won two Premier League titles and an FA Cup at the Bridge before leaving in 2018 to join Madrid and has since established himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the world after winning a lot of accolades during his time at the Spanish capital.
He has already taken on his former side with Real, in last season’s Champions League semi-finals, when Chelsea progressed 3-1 on aggregate, but both matches took place with no fans in attendance.
The Belgian stopper will be playing in front of his former fans in west London on Wednesday night for the first time since leaving and is hoping for a warm reception, but will not be bothered if it is not.
Speaking to UEFA ahead of the game, the Belgian said: “I’m not expecting any applause from the Chelsea fans. I hope that they don’t boo me, but you never know. I’m prepared for whatever comes. We’re rivals now.”
Courtois was in goal for both legs of last year’s semi-final, which finished 1-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu and 2-0 at Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. The aggregate winner of the tie will meet either Atletico Madrid or Manchester City in the semis.
