‘Money excuse must stop’: Thibaut Courtois urges soccer to use NBA as reference point in calendar congestion crisis

In an interview with CNN Sport’s Amanda Davies, Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois looked to the NBA for a solution to soccer’s calendar controversy.

It’s a question that’s increasingly at the forefront of soccer’s agenda: is bigger always better? With domestic, continental and global competitions all vying for space in what’s becoming a full to bursting calendar, concerns over player welfare, the tug of war between club and country and conflicts over the direction of the game have never been more pressing. Just ask Thibaut Courtois. The decorated Real Madrid goalkeeper is one of those players experiencing the real-time physical and mental demands of the game. He admits there’s no one size fits all solution; but says one counterargument aimed at his profession must be firmly put to bed. “The excuse of ‘you earn a lot of money’ has to be stopped,” the Belgian told CNN Sport’s Amanda Davies after winning the Player Career Award at the recent Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.