Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois warned new signing Endrick to calm down after their team … [+] lost a friendly to bitter rivals FC Barcelona at the MetLife Stadium on Saturday.
Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois warned new signing Endrick to calm down after their team lost a friendly to bitter rivals FC Barcelona at the MetLife Stadium on Saturday.
Like head coach Carlo Ancelotti, who said “let’s not go crazy” following a second consecutive defeat on Los Blancos’ ongoing preaseaon tour of the United States, Courtois didn’t want to read too much into the result against Barca.
“It’s pre-season. We are working and obviously there are things that we can perhaps improve. But in the end we are with those who are here and so are they,” he commented, about a depleted squad missing many key stars.
“In the end it is a friendly that does not give much more than perhaps the prestige of the preseason, of winning this match. I think we had chances to do more. They may [have had chances to do more] also and in the end the result is what it is.
“We are not worried, we have to keep working. On Tuesday against Chelsea maybe we have to leave a little better image [and score] more goals. But everything is fine,” the Belgian insisted.
Rather than be critical of his teammates, Courtois singled out youngsters Arda Guler and Endrick for praise.
“Endrick has a lot of strength, a lot of power, and maybe he needs to be a little calmer. I’m not saying he’s nervous, but it’s normal that you’re playing for Madrid in big games and you get a little more nervous. But you can see in training that he has a lot of goals and a lot of strength,” Courtois explained.
“And Arda, it’s another Arda compared to last year. After his knee injury he has worked a lot in the gym and you can tell that physically he is another guy. He has a lot of arrival [into the box], a lot of passing. We have a lot of good players and they are going to fight for places and that is what helps Madrid to be Madrid and win trophies,” Courtois further said.
As the shotstopper highlighted, Madrid’s next outing will be a match to finish the tour against Courtois and Ancelotti’s former employers Chelsea.
