Courtesy of Flickr user Cortexena
Here we are again at the familiar crossroads of another Champions League semifinal draw. This time however, just like the quarterfinals, there will be some added intrigue in the form of Chelsea FC loanee Thibaut Courtois and Atletico Madrid. Before the quarterfinal draw, there were many reports that claimed that Thibaut Courtois could play against his parent club because UEFA does not allow loan player restrictions the way the English FA or other FAs do. It appears however, that it is a bit more complicated than Courtois simply being able to play against Chelsea because UEFA allows it.
The reports on Twitter, some of which claim to be confirmed by Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo, that there is a clause in the Courtois’s loan contract that specifies that he can indeed play against his parent club but that a fee must be paid in order for that to happen. This is a strange clause and it is doubtful that we have ever seen such a thing being brought in to play. It is possible that it was put in to the contract after Courtois played against Chelsea in the 2013 UEFA Super Cup. There are no specifics about what the fee might be, but we can imagine that it is substantial but not enormous.
Regardless of what the fee is, unless it is an absurd amount for a “sellng” club like Atletico, then Courtois will play against Chelsea if they are drawn together. The benefit of having Courtois on the field is tremendous and will surely outweigh the fee in the contract. There are also reports that Chelsea can veto the deal and refuse the fee and not allow Courtois to play anyway.
Some Chelsea fans fear that such a move would sour Atletico and Thibaut Courtois on the Blues and affect any future transfer dealings. This is especially important with rumors of another loan to Atletico coming up and the possible transfer of Diego Costa to the Blues. If Atletico and Chelsea are indeed drawn for the semifinals, the Courtois saga will surely add another wrinkle to an already intriguing tie.
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