Belgium’s first-choice goalkeeper has left the national team following the decision to allow Thibaut Courtois to return.
Koen Casteels has announced his immediate retirement from international football.
He is reportedly unhappy with the Belgian FA’s decision to welcome Courtois back into the national setup.
Casteels expressed his unavailability for selection in an interview on the Belgian podcast MidMid.
He stated: “It’s surprising that the football association has completely changed its stance and is now welcoming him back so warmly.
“Firstly, it seems odd that Courtois can decide on his own terms whether he returns or not.”
“This isn’t really about Thibaut, but more about the football association. It goes against my principles of what team sport or a sporting organization should stand for.
“From today, I am no longer available for the national team.”
Courtois had previously stepped away from Belgium duty after a disagreement with former coach Domenico Tedesco.
His last appearance for the national team was in June 2023, and he missed Euro 2024, where Casteels played every minute.
Courtois, with 102 caps for Belgium, had a conflict with Tedesco regarding the captaincy.
The Real Madrid goalkeeper explained his decision to leave, saying: “If my issue was just the captaincy, I would have resigned back in March when Tedesco chose De Bruyne as captain.”
“Kevin as captain? No problem. But then Romelu Lukaku and I were named vice-captains without a clear order.”
“When he announced that Romelu would be captain against Austria and I against Estonia on Tuesday, something broke within me. I couldn’t take it anymore.”
“The lack of appreciation I felt from the federation and the coach caused me to react.
“The coach made no attempt to resolve the situation, simply stating he would disclose everything to the press. He wanted to pressure me not to leave and to threaten me.”
Marcus Bellamy