Former Paraguayan goalkeeper José Luis Chilavert responded sharply to Thibaut Courtois after the Real Madrid keeper labeled his comments about Kylian Mbappé and the incident between Vinícius Júnior and Gianluca Prestianni as "regrettable." In an interview with Radio Rivadavia, Chilavert not only reinforced his criticisms but also launched new personal attacks on the Belgian. "I want to take advantage of the space given to me because my colleague Courtois spoke in a press conference about my words regarding Mbappé and said they were regrettable. What is regrettable is that he stole his teammate Kevin De Bruyne's girlfriend," Chilavert stated, referring to a past controversy involving the Real Madrid goalkeeper and Caroline Lijnen, the former girlfriend of his Belgian national team colleague. The exchange of accusations originated from the Champions League match between Benfica and Real Madrid, when Vinícius accused Argentine Prestianni of making a racist insult. Chilavert defended the Benfica player and made controversial comments about the Brazilian forward and Mbappé, which sparked strong backlash. For the former goalkeeper, figures like Vinícius or Mbappé—whom he personally insulted with a long-standing rumor that he "lives with a transvestite," referencing the alleged romance the Frenchman had with trans model Ines Rau in 2023—are not role models in a sport that, in his opinion, has lost its original essence. Chilavert also expressed his dissatisfaction with the modernization of football. "Football is a rectangle where men play, and we used to say everything to each other before. Since they put microphones and more cameras, football has become effeminate," he criticized. In response to these statements, Courtois, in the lead-up to a Champions League match, defended his teammates. "You can't say things like that. It's another type of insult, and such things have no place in today's world, nor anywhere else. And even less so coming from a former colleague in the profession," the Belgian concluded. Chilavert wrapped up with a sporting assessment of the Real Madrid keeper: "He should learn to play with his feet, dare to leave the area, and take free kicks or penalties. In fact, he is an average goalkeeper."
De Bruyne Former Paraguayan remains central to this story.
De Bruyne Former Paraguayan remains central to this story.
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