Atletico Madrid keeper Thibaut Courtois has been green-lighted to play against his parent club following a reprimanding statement from UEFA.
Leading into the Champions League semifinal draw, reports rapidly spread regarding an apparent clause in Courtois’ loan agreement, which would require Atletico to pay Chelsea a multi-million euro sum if the loanee were ever used against them. Both sides were evidently ready to support the clause, with Atletico president Enrique Cerezo even conceding that Courtois would likely not play. It seemed that the keeper would sit out the semis if the two clubs were drawn in opposition.
But UEFA took issue. Just minutes before the draw was announced, they decided to address the clause directly:
“In response to media reports referring to the situation of Club Atletico de Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, UEFA would like to reiterate its position.
“The integrity of sporting competition is a fundamental principle for UEFA.
“Both the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations contain clear provisions which strictly forbid any club to exert, or attempt to exert, any influence whatsoever over the players that another club may (or may not) field in a match.
“It follows that any provision in a private contract between clubs which might function in such a way as to influence who a club fields in a match is null, void and unenforceable so far as UEFA is concerned.
“Furthermore, any attempt to enforce such a provision would be a clear violation of both the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations and would therefore be sanctioned accordingly.”
It’s a little strange that a contract signed and agreed-upon by two teams could be nullified so easily. But UEFA has its own standards, and to play in the Champions League a club ought to respect the association’s rules. Following the statement (and the draw, which did indeed pit the two clubs against each other), Chelsea chief executive Ron Gourlay insisted that no action would be taken to prevent Courtois from playing.
“The loan was arranged back at the start of the season,” he told Sky Sports News. “It’s quite simple – Thibaut can play against Chelsea. That was never in doubt. Regarding the UEFA statement, we’ll evaluate that in due course. As far as Chelsea’s concerned, we’ve complied with the loan rules.”
It wasn’t the most definitive statement, necessarily, as no mention of the fee was made at all. Regardless, it does seem that Courtois has a green light to play in the semis.
The two clubs are engaged in various discussions at the moment, and an agreement could be made that bypasses the fee for the sake of later negotiations (Chelsea want Atletico striker Diego Costa, while Atletico want Courtois back for another season). But with a Champions League final at stake, it’s hard to imagine Atletico benching their star keeper for the sake of good graces in future business.
For all intents and purposes, we should now go into the semifinals expecting a Cech v. Courtois showdown (and let’s be honest, this is what everybody really wants to see. Two of the world’s best, taking the fight for Chelsea’s starting role to a visible stage?). It would be great to watch, and Cech and Chelsea can stand up to the challenge.
