Thibaut Courtois has rejected suggestions that his infamous “right side of history” comment was directed at Atletico de Madrid, seeking to end a dispute that has damaged his relationship with the club’s supporters for years.
The Belgium goalkeeper made the clarification four and a half years after remarks that intensified the hostility towards him. Courtois joined Atletico de Madrid on loan from Chelsea and helped them win La Liga before appearing in the 2014 UEFA Champions League final, but his move to city rivals Real Madrid turned former admiration into fierce opposition.
Since switching clubs, Courtois has faced jeers and hostility whenever he has returned to Wanda Metropolitano. The dispute reached its peak in May 2022, on the eve of the UEFA Champions League final between Real Madrid and Liverpool.
At the time, Courtois said: “They played a final against Real Madrid in 2018. When you face Real Madrid, you know they win finals, and now I am on the winning side of history.”
Atletico de Madrid supporters interpreted the words as a direct reference to their defeat by Real Madrid in the 2014 final in Lisbon, in which Courtois played.
Speaking to Spanish radio station Onda Cero, Courtois explained that Liverpool, rather than Atletico de Madrid, was the subject of his comments.
“If I could, I would not delete that phrase, because it was not about them – Atletico de Madrid – but about Liverpool,” he said. “I have always spoken about Atletico with great respect, and I won trophies there.”
Courtois also said his time at the club had played an important role in his life away from football.
“That period made me fall in love with Spain, and I had two children there. I will never say a bad word about it,” he added. “I left because I was on loan from Chelsea.”
The goalkeeper ended his account with a message of gratitude towards Atletico de Madrid and the part the club played in his development.
“I am very proud of my time at Atletico. It made me the goalkeeper I am today,” Courtois said.
He also described the Madrid derby as a positive part of his experience, saying: “Derbies are always enjoyable.”
Courtois’s comments were broadcast by Onda Cero’s Radioestadio Noche on 30 September 2026, marking his clearest attempt yet to explain the remark that had been viewed by Atletico de Madrid supporters as a criticism of their club and its history.