Thibaut Courtois spent three seasons in Madrid on loan from Chelsea. What if he had never returned, giving Petr Cech more playing time?
It is often forgotten in the grand scheme of things of the loan army narrative, but Courtois going Atletico Madrid was crazy at the time. For him to be their starting keeper for three years as they pushed for Champions League and La Liga is even crazier.
Courtois returned to Chelsea after those three years and made a name for himself, all the way up to the point where he decided to go AWOL and force a move to Real Madrid. He burned two fan bases in one swoop.
But what if he had fallen for the city of Madrid much sooner? What if he never returned to Chelsea at all? Would the following seasons have gone differently for the Blues?
In 2014/2015, Courtois opts to stay at Atletico. This pushes Chelsea towards keeping Petr Cech as the first team keeper as they were given little time to find a replacement. It is important to note that Cech was not the same as he was when he won the Champions League. He had been declining, albeit not massively, in the following years.
Overall, the 2014/2015 season goes much the same as it did in real life. Chelsea still wins the Premier League, though it is a closer contest than reality had it. The following season is where things really begin to change.
One of the major reasons Jose Mourinho’s side imploded in 2015/2016 was a loss of leadership. Cech staying instead of going to Arsenal helps to stifle that drop off. Chelsea does make the Champions League, but the claw and fight their way to it the entire time.
At this point it has become clear that Chelsea needs to find a solution to the keeper issue. They need someone young who can deputize Cech in the short term and replace him in the long term. Chelsea sign Jack Butland (do not laugh) in the summer of 2016 to potentially replace the Czech keeper.
Mourinho managed to keep his job for the 2016/2017 season and begins rotating Cech and Butland in and out. By December, however, it has become clear that Butland is not the superstar in the making that he was dreamed to be. Tough results see Mourinho return to Cech in goal. The Blues go another season trophyless and Mourinho and the club “mutually part ways” at the end of the season.
Cech announces his retirement soon after. Two seasons earlier than in reality, Mourinho’s departure plus Chelsea hinting they want yet another new keeper aside from Butland is enough for the keeper to hang up his gloves. Rumor has it that Courtois is sick of life in Madrid and wants to live his life in London.
Cech was able to finish his career at Chelsea without Courtois blocking his playing time. The Blues managed to avoid catastrophe in 2015/2016 with him, but overall they were less successful with the aging keeper in charge of the goal. Courtois’ errors have yet to truly rear their head though, but they will as soon as he starts thinking of another club to play for.
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