Thursday, 10th April, 2014
Atletico Madrid’s on-loan goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois might have to sit out of the semi-final of the Champions League if the Red and Whites are drawn against Chelsea.
The Belgian international, who joined the Blues from Genk in 2011, was immediately loaned to the Spanish side, and is in his third season at the Vicente Calderon.
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Diego Simeone’s side made it to the last four of the European tournament after beating Barcelona 2-1 on aggregate, and the draw on Friday will decide who they will be up against in the next round.
The clause in the player’s contract states that Atletico Madrid will have to pay a hefty fee in order for the 21-year-old to play against his parent club, in case the two are pitted against each other, and club president Enrique Cerezo has made it clear that they are in no position to abide by it.
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"It's a number we can't afford to pay", he told Onda Cero.
"The problem is whether he can play or not if we come up against Chelsea. It could be that he cannot; the contract is the contract."
The young shot-stopper has made 143 appearances for the club so far, and has helped Atletico Madrid lead La Liga’s table after having kept 17 clean sheets in 31 league matches.
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