Belgium national team excludes Courtois from the European Championship

On Tuesday, the Belgium national team announced its final squad for the UEFA European Championship (Euro 2024), which will be hosted by Germany.

Veteran star Axel Witsel was surprisingly included in Belgium’s squad for the continental tournament, which is headlined by Manchester City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne. Notably absent from the squad is Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

Domenico Tedesco, the coach of the Belgium national team, selected 25 players for the tournament, which will take place from June 14 to July 14. The team, known as the Red Devils, will compete in Group E in the first round of the continental competition, facing Slovakia, Romania, and Ukraine.

Tedesco can add another player to the final squad, which will be submitted by the seventh of next month.

Witsel, 35, has 130 international caps with the Belgian national team but has not played for the team since Tedesco took over last year.

Witsel’s inclusion in the Belgian squad follows his strong performances with Spanish club Atlético Madrid during the past season.

Tedesco told reporters: “We were always open to bringing Witsel back. There is no doubt that he is a highly skilled player. We need him. He can help the younger players. We have a good feeling about him.”

The squad also featured another surprise inclusion with defender Maxim De Cuyper, who has never played an international match. This comes after his strong season with Club Brugge, where he won the Belgian league title and reached the semifinals of the UEFA Europa Conference League.

Kevin De Bruyne, who retained the Premier League title with Manchester City for the fourth consecutive season, hopes to lead his national team to the podium and win the continental title for the first time in Belgium’s history.

Meanwhile, Courtois recently returned to guard Real Madrid’s goal after recovering from a severe knee injury, but he has been at odds with Tedesco since last year.

Tedesco stated: “He was clear and honest. He is not ready to play in the European Championship.”

Tedesco highlighted the good mix between younger and more experienced players, saying, “I have a really good feeling about the team,” emphasizing “human quality and football quality.”

The team is set to gather next Friday in a training camp to prepare for the European Championship. They will play two friendly matches against Montenegro and Luxembourg before heading to Germany on June 12.