Courtois praises Mourinho’s strict methods after making early Real Madrid return

Thibaut Courtois has returned to individual training with Real Madrid ahead of schedule as he continues his recovery from the injury that forced him to leave Belgium’s World Cup quarter-final against Spain, while praising new manager Jose Mourinho’s uncompromising, team-first approach.

The 34-year-old goalkeeper said he resumed work on his own last Friday and continued on Sunday, when his Real Madrid team-mates were given time off following their match against Ferencvaros. Courtois explained that he wanted to test his fitness fully before rejoining the squad for collective training.

“I came back a little early because, because of the injury, I wanted to make sure I was completely fine by training individually before joining the team,” Courtois said in an interview with Real Madrid’s television channel.

“Today I trained as a goalkeeper and felt very good. I am extremely happy to be back.”

Courtois also offered a strong endorsement of Mourinho, describing the Portuguese as a highly demanding coach who places discipline and the interests of the team above individual players.

The goalkeeper said those qualities were essential if Real Madrid were to challenge for trophies and praised Mourinho’s willingness to speak openly.

“He is a great coach, and his personality is very friendly. He tells the truth as it is, and that is what I like about him,” Courtois said.

“I think this is the path we need to follow.”

The comments underline Courtois’ confidence in working with Mourinho again. The pair previously enjoyed a successful spell together at Chelsea, where they won the Premier League title.

Courtois said he was pleased to be reunited with the Portuguese manager and hoped their latest spell together would prove equally productive.

“I have good memories of him, and hopefully we can work well together and spend some great years here,” he added.

The goalkeeper also backed Mourinho’s decision to give players sufficient rest during pre-season. Courtois said a more measured approach could help the squad avoid injuries at the beginning of what he expects to be a long and demanding campaign.

“If we start strongly, we will suffer injuries early,” he said. “We will regain our fitness quickly because we have not stopped for a long time, and we will be fine.”

His early return gives Real Madrid encouragement as Mourinho works to prepare the squad for the new season. The manager also faces the task of incorporating new players after the World Cup finishes later than usual this year, with some members of the squad expected to have limited preparation time.

Courtois ended his interview by stressing both his personal ambition and the club’s desire to win silverware again.

“It is important for the team, the fans and the club that we win again,” he said. “I will be ready to train tomorrow.”