In his recent documentary, Thibaut Courtois revealed his early discomfort during his time at Real Madrid, stemming from his competition with Keylor Navas and his relationship with Zinedine Zidane. The Belgian goalkeeper shared that he had a conversation with Zidane because he felt the coach did not trust him. “I felt we didn’t get along well, and I told him it seemed like he didn’t want me. He responded that he did trust me and that I would be his goalkeeper,” Courtois recalled.

Courtois also discussed the tension with Keylor Navas, who had won three Champions League titles and felt that Courtois was encroaching on his position. “He felt I had invaded his space,” explained Courtois, referring to the difficult moments they experienced in their battle for the starting spot.

Despite Zidane’s assurances of trust, Courtois’s initial months at Madrid were marked by doubts and intense competition with Navas. The rivalry, although challenging, did not prevent Courtois from eventually establishing himself as the team’s number one goalkeeper. However, he admits that the process was fraught with uncomfortable moments with both his teammate and the coach.