Thibaut Courtois

[Collymore!]

So, with all this rubbish about him playing against Chelsea... Does anybody know what his contract situation is?

He signed a 5 year deal in 2011 - so takes him to 2016.

I've heard rumours he doesn't want to be at Chelsea and wants to move perm to Spain?

People are saying though that Chelsea are letting him play as they don't want to upset him because "Chelsea will have the best GK for the next decade"

Do Chelsea have an option on him?

or do they think that they will persuade him to sign again?

 

[Strummer]

He's a Chelsea player.

Unless someone wants to buy him from Chelsea, that's the end of it. It does however again point out the farcical nature of the European loan system where a rich team can snap-up a promising young player and then loan him out - for three years! - without him ever kicking a ball for them.

 

[Francis Benali (on loan)]

UEFA say the clause in the deal stating Atletico must pay close to 5M to play him against Chelsea is not valid. But Chelsea can use this to get Acosta on the cheap at the very least. Atletico will want Courtois back next year, and will keep Chelsea sweet.

There is no way the registration of a footballer from Belgium who has never played for Chelsea, but has played the last three seasons for a club who have made the last four of Europe's premier cup competition, should ever be held by Chelsea.

Eventually, if you own the best players at every club, you can't lose.
Chelsea finished third in England last year. That qualified them to arse around in six glorified friendlies in the Champions League; two each against Schalke, Basel and Bucharest where they would have had to have been consistently spectacularly crap not to pick up enough points to qualify for more games after they have pocketed that cash. Then they go comfortably through against Galatasary - a side relying on a forward so far over the hill that even Chelsea haven't hung onto his registration.

Finally the competition actually starts in March. Chelsea get a 3-3 draw with a goal in the last minute against PSG in their first real tie. That is enough to set them up with a semi-final in which they already own one of their opponents' best players, and have probably started negotiating with their other best player over a deal to sign for them in the summer. They are going to reach the European Cup final without having done anything remotely memorable. It is a sick dog of a competition.

UEFA stated 'the integrity of sporting competition is a fundamental principle' today when commentating on this keeper issue. Bit late now.

 

[Strummer]

UEFA say the clause in the deal stating Atletico must pay close to 5M to play him against Chelsea is not valid. But Chelsea can use this to get Acosta on the cheap at the very least. Atletico will want Courtois back next year, and will keep Chelsea sweet.

There is no way the registration of a footballer from Belgium who has never played for Chelsea, but has played the last three seasons for a club who have made the last four of Europe's premier cup competition, should ever be held by Chelsea.

Eventually, if you own the best players at every club, you can't lose.
Chelsea finished third in England last year. That qualified them to arse around in six glorified friendlies in the Champions League; two each against Schalke, Basel and Bucharest where they would have had to have been consistently spectacularly crap not to pick up enough points to qualify for more games after they have pocketed that cash. Then they go comfortably through against Galatasary - a side relying on a forward so far over the hill that even Chelsea haven't hung onto his registration.

Finally the competition actually starts in March. Chelsea get a 3-3 draw with a goal in the last minute against PSG in their first real tie. That is enough to set them up with a semi-final in which they already own one of their opponents' best players, and have probably started negotiating with their other best player over a deal to sign for them in the summer. They are going to reach the European Cup final without having done anything remotely memorable. It is a sick dog of a competition.

UEFA stated 'the integrity of sporting competition is a fundamental principle' today when commentating on this keeper issue. Bit late now.

Absolutely spot on post.

The so-called "Champions League" has made a mockery of what used to be the finest Cup competition in the world.

UEFA's motto is "for the good of the game".

Bollocks.

 

[Robbie Red Hat]

UEFA say the clause in the deal stating Atletico must pay close to 5M to play him against Chelsea is not valid. But Chelsea can use this to get Acosta on the cheap at the very least. Atletico will want Courtois back next year, and will keep Chelsea sweet.

There is no way the registration of a footballer from Belgium who has never played for Chelsea, but has played the last three seasons for a club who have made the last four of Europe's premier cup competition, should ever be held by Chelsea.

Eventually, if you own the best players at every club, you can't lose.
Chelsea finished third in England last year. That qualified them to arse around in six glorified friendlies in the Champions League; two each against Schalke, Basel and Bucharest where they would have had to have been consistently spectacularly crap not to pick up enough points to qualify for more games after they have pocketed that cash. Then they go comfortably through against Galatasary - a side relying on a forward so far over the hill that even Chelsea haven't hung onto his registration.

Finally the competition actually starts in March. Chelsea get a 3-3 draw with a goal in the last minute against PSG in their first real tie. That is enough to set them up with a semi-final in which they already own one of their opponents' best players, and have probably started negotiating with their other best player over a deal to sign for them in the summer. They are going to reach the European Cup final without having done anything remotely memorable. It is a sick dog of a competition.

UEFA stated 'the integrity of sporting competition is a fundamental principle' today when commentating on this keeper issue. Bit late now.

Well put and on the money :thumbup:

 

[Francis Benali (on loan)]

I can't say I was overly excited personally about watching United win the CL in 1999, and again they got in without winning anything the year before, but it would have been a thrilling campaign for United fans. I remember they had two games against Barcelona that ended 3-3, they beat Inter and they came from 2-0 down to beat Juventus in Turin. Their fans will remember coming through a lot of classic games just to reach the final in 1999.

Chelsea are now favourites to reach this year's final. To find themselves in that position, they didn't even have to compete for the domestic title last season's to get in and they've had one interesting game in this year's CL in which they sneaked through on away goals. No team should be able to just drift in the final of the biggest competition in Europe.

 

[Ravi]

UEFA say the clause in the deal stating Atletico must pay close to 5M to play him against Chelsea is not valid. But Chelsea can use this to get Acosta on the cheap at the very least. Atletico will want Courtois back next year, and will keep Chelsea sweet.

There is no way the registration of a footballer from Belgium who has never played for Chelsea, but has played the last three seasons for a club who have made the last four of Europe's premier cup competition, should ever be held by Chelsea.

Eventually, if you own the best players at every club, you can't lose.
Chelsea finished third in England last year. That qualified them to arse around in six glorified friendlies in the Champions League; two each against Schalke, Basel and Bucharest where they would have had to have been consistently spectacularly crap not to pick up enough points to qualify for more games after they have pocketed that cash. Then they go comfortably through against Galatasary - a side relying on a forward so far over the hill that even Chelsea haven't hung onto his registration.

Finally the competition actually starts in March. Chelsea get a 3-3 draw with a goal in the last minute against PSG in their first real tie. That is enough to set them up with a semi-final in which they already own one of their opponents' best players, and have probably started negotiating with their other best player over a deal to sign for them in the summer. They are going to reach the European Cup final without having done anything remotely memorable. It is a sick dog of a competition.

UEFA stated 'the integrity of sporting competition is a fundamental principle' today when commentating on this keeper issue. Bit late now.

Good post FB and I do agree. Just to play devil's advocate - isn't the situation with Courtois similar to Co-ownership of a player which is permissible in other countries but not in England?

As for the name 'Champions League', it sounds like the kind of name the organiser of a school sports day would come up with. 'Everyones a winner here'. It's actually the European League for the richest clubs.

 

[Francis Benali (on loan)]

Pretty much. He has been the goalkeeper of one of the best teams in the possibly the best league in the world for the last three years, whilst still being a Chelsea player.

Scrap season long loans for a start. Each player can only go out on loan for three months in any one season. If you want to sign for a club you know you won't play for, you're choosing to throw a season away. Currently, Chelsea view most clubs around the world as part of their reserves. Even one in that has made the last four of the hampions League.

 

[Strummer]

More so, Chelsea know that their financial muscle allows them to buy anyone they want and then -crucially - they let other teams develop their players for them.

I agree with Francis post above - scrap season long loans. You want a player?

You buy him.