Should Chelsea and Atletico Madrid face each other in the Champions League, the Spanish side must determine whether they can afford to play their star keeper against his contractual club.
With the Champions League semifinalists now determined, the four remaining teams await Friday morning’s draw to learn of their next opponents.
While each potential matchup offers its own share of intrigue, one presents a particularly interesting dilemma: Thibaut Courtois, one of Chelsea’s brightest young stars, is currently on loan at Atletico Madrid, and should the two sides be drawn as opponents, Courtois could find himself working to force his rightful club out of the competition. Courtois undeniably makes Atletico a better team, and with him in the net their chances of ousting Chelsea drastically increase.
However, it is being reported that as part of their loan contract, Atletico would owe Chelsea 10 million to use Courtois against them. This leads one to wonder, would Atletico find it wise to pay such a sum only to test their keeper’s loyalty?
After holding the Messi and Neymar-led Barcelona to one goal through both legs of the quarterfinal, Courtois has further proven his worth on an elite stage. With him, Atletico are a formidable opponent, but without him, they are arguably the most desirable draw of the semifinalists. It will surely be tempting for the Spanish side to pay the fee, and manager Diego Simeone is likely hoping to have Courtois available, but such a move could be terribly irresponsible financially.
Many fans will be excited by the prospect of seeing Petr Cech and Thibaut Courtois go head-to-head. Not only would the matchup pit two of the most talented keepers in the world against one another, but it would also manifest itself as a visible battle in the war for next season’s starting role at Chelsea.
With all things considered, it seems unlikely that Courtois will end up being used by Atletico Madrid against Chelsea. After all, there is only a one-in-three chance of the two sides being drawn against each other at all. But even should the matchup be drawn, a 10 million fee is surely too steep for a one-round deployment.
That said, the financials of this game can often be surprising, and Atletico may yet determine that the young keeper is worth every penny.
UPDATE:
Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo has confirmed that Courtois would be unlikely to play in a potential match against Chelsea, saying of the fine, “it is a figure that we cannot pay.” Number two keeper Dani Aranzubia would be forced to play instead. Aranzubia has played just once this season.
While the figure has been widely reported to be 10 million, the exact number has not been confirmed.
Great read. Nice to see that we’ve actually put some thought behind some of the loan deals.