Chelsea FC loanee and Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is relieved that he will be allowed to play against his parent club in the Champions League semifinals. Reports claimed that Courtois was not going to be allowed to play because of a clause in his contract that said Atletico would have to pay a substantial fee to make it happen. UEFA released a statement saying that they do not allow clauses of that nature but it appeared that Chelsea was willing to let the youngster play anyway. Atletico president Enrique Cerezo told the media that Thibaut Courtois would not play unless the clubs reached an agreement regardless of what UEFA said and it appears they have.
Thibaut Courtois spoke to FIFA’s website and said:
"“(I was) very relieved. For me, the fact that we’ve drawn Chelsea, like we did in the European Super Cup, is special, because even though I’m at Atleti, Chelsea are my club too. It’s better not to think about it too much though and play like I always do, because if I start thinking, ‘Oh, I’d better be careful’, then I’ll end up playing poorly. I want to win trophies here and I’ll be an Atleti supporter for these two games, but at all other times I’m a Chelsea fan too. I hope they win the Premier League, just not these two matches. I really hope we can reach the final as we’re so close. They’re the favourites, but Barca were too.”"
Courtois has been a key figure at Atletico Madrid since he arrived on loan three years ago. He has experienced great success and has won several trophies including the UEFA Europa League title and the Spanish domestic cup competition, the Copa Del Rey. It would have been a great advantage for Chelsea had he not been able to play against them but they will simply have to find a way to beat one of the stingiest defenses in Europe backed by one of the best goalkeepers in world football. It will not be an easy task but since when have the Blues backed down from a challenge?
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