Thibaut Courtois Childhood Story (What you didn’t know)
Thibaut Courtois’ childhood story
About Thibaut Courtois’ childhood, he was born on May 11, 1992, in the city of Bree, Belgium. He was the son of Gitte Courtois, a Flemish woman, and Thierry Courtois, a Walloon.
Despite his fame in football, Thibaut seemed destined for volleyball due to his family’s sporting background. As a child, he was a clumsy and often absent-minded boy.
He shared a funny episode from gym class, where, by concentrating too much on an exercise, he ended up knocking over the teacher. “I was never a hero in gymnastics,” he joked.
Thibaut’s childhood was full of minor accidents. His mother, a physiotherapist, had to accompany him to the hospital several times. Among the incidents were fractures, cuts and other injuries, showing a childhood full of energy.
Born in Maas Hospital in Kempen, he was raised by parents who played semi-professional volleyball. Thibaut tried out a variety of sports from an early age, but at the age of five, he decided that he wanted to focus on football.
Thibaut Courtois’ first steps in football
In Belgium, children are only allowed to officially join football clubs after the age of six. However, thanks to Thibaut’s persistence, local club Bilzen VV made an exception and allowed him to join early.
Starting out as a left-back, he quickly demonstrated his strength and skill, despite being younger than his teammates. According to his first coach, Bart Theunissen, he already showed incredible reflexes.
The story of Thibaut Courtois in Genk
Following his time in the Genk youth system, Courtois made his professional debut at the age of 16 years and 341 days on 17 April 2009 against Gent. He played a key role in Genk’s 2010–11 Belgian league title triumph. His performances earned him the club’s Goalkeeper of the Year and Player of the Year awards, conceding just 32 goals in 40 Jupiler Pro League appearances.
Thibaut Courtois’ Chelsea story
On 16 July 2011, Courtois joined Chelsea on a five-year contract.
Thibaut Courtois’ Atlético Madrid story
Just a few weeks after joining Chelsea, Courtois was loaned to Atlético Madrid for a season. At the Spanish club, he was given the number 13 shirt, previously worn by David de Gea before his move to Manchester United.
2011–12 season
Courtois made his Atlético debut in a UEFA Europa League match against Vitória de Guimaraes. His first La Liga appearance was a 0–0 draw against Osasuna. He quickly established himself as a regular, replacing Sergio Asenjo, and kept four clean sheets in his first six appearances. On 26 November 2011, he was sent off for the first time as a professional after fouling Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema in a 4–1 derby defeat. Despite this, Courtois helped Atlético reach the UEFA Europa League final, beating Athletic Bilbao 3–0 with a flawless performance.
2012–13 season
Courtois’ loan at Atlético was extended for a further year in June 2012. He faced his parent club Chelsea in the UEFA Super Cup, helping Atlético win 4–1 with a hat-trick from Radamel Falcao. During the season, he set a record of 820 minutes without conceding a goal at the Vicente Calderón. Courtois was also instrumental in the 2013 Copa del Rey final, being named man of the match in a 2–1 win against Real Madrid, breaking a 14-year winless streak against their rivals.
2013–14 season
The loan was extended again for the 2013–14 season. In April 2014, a clause in the loan deal would initially have prevented him from facing Chelsea in the Champions League semi-finals, but UEFA declared the clause invalid. Courtois was a key player in Atlético’s first La Liga title since 1996, and was voted one of the league’s best goalkeepers alongside Willy Caballero and Keylor Navas.
Return to Chelsea
In July 2014, Courtois returned to Chelsea, where he was given the number 13 shirt. He made his debut in a 3–1 win against Burnley on 18 August. In September, he signed a five-year contract extension until 2019.
Thibaut Courtois’s story at Real Madrid
On 8 August 2018, Courtois signed a six-year contract with Real Madrid. He made his debut on 1 September in a 4–1 win against Leganés. After an underwhelming opening season, the Belgian goalkeeper won the La Liga title in his second season at the club.
On 14 August 2021, Courtois made his 100th La Liga appearance for Real Madrid, and on 6 February 2022, he notched his 100th win for the club. During this period, he won a Club World Cup, a La Liga and two Spanish Super Cups, as well as the Zamora Trophy in the 2019-20 season.
In the 2022 Champions League final, Courtois was the standout performer in the 1-0 win against Liverpool, making some extraordinary saves and being named Man of the Match. This performance was considered one of the best by a goalkeeper in the history of the tournament. In October 2022, he won the Yashin Trophy as the best goalkeeper in the world in the 2021-22 season.
Courtois made his 200th appearance for Real Madrid on 15 January 2023, in the Spanish Super Cup final. Despite this, the club was defeated by Barcelona 3-1.
In August 2023, Courtois suffered a serious anterior cruciate ligament injury during training, with his recovery expected to take between seven and nine months. Despite this, he was selected for the FIFA All-Star Team in 2023.
The family history of Thibaut Courtois
Thibaut is very close to his family, Thierry and Gitte Courtois (his father and mother) were both prominent Belgian volleyball players, a sport that initially influenced his career. His sister, Valérie Courtois, is a renowned volleyball player, who was awarded Best Libero at the European Championships in 2013. His brother, Gaetan, is a big supporter of Thibaut.
Thibaut Courtois’s parents
Thibaut Courtois’s father
The goalkeeper’s father is Thierry Courtois
Mother of Thibaut Courtois
Lambrechts, also known as Gitte Courtois, is the mother of the famous goalkeeper Thibaut. Like her husband Thierry, Gitte is also a Belgian volleyball legend. It was volleyball that brought Thibaut Courtois’ parents together.
Thibaut Courtois’ siblings
Thibaut Courtois has an incredibly beautiful sister named Valérie Courtois. Valérie plays professional volleyball, known for her role as a libero for Budowlani Łódź and the Belgian national volleyball team. Named the best Libero at the 2013 European Championships. Valérie is two years older than her brother. Gaetan Courtois is the younger brother of Thibaut Courtois.
Thibaut Courtois’ wife
Known for being romantic, Thibaut has had unstable relationships. During his time at Atlético de Madrid, he began a relationship with Marta Domínguez, with whom he had a daughter, Adriana, in 2015.
Although the couple split in 2017, Thibaut and Marta had another son, Nicolas, that same year.
Thibaut Courtois and Kevin De Bruyne relationship feud
Kevin De Bruyne, a former friend of Courtois, had a tumultuous relationship with Caroline Lijnen. After Kevin had an affair, Caroline began a relationship with Thibaut, worsening the situation between the two athletes.
This event had a huge impact on their friendship and careers, especially Kevin’s, who left Chelsea due to the tensions.
Thibaut Courtois’s children
Thibaut Courtois has two children from his previous relationship
Facts about Thibaut Courtois
- Courtois has a practical and reliable personality, but shows instability in emotional situations.
- He starred in popular memes with the term “Thibauting”, which symbolizes spectacular defenses.
References
“Visit my trophy – Thibaut Courtois”. thibautcourtois.com
“Thibaut Courtois Facts for Kids”. Kids encyclopedia facts
“Chelsea’s Thibaut Courtois: from clumsy boy to top of the world”. The Guardian
“Thibaut Courtois – Wikipedia”. Wikipedia
“Thibaut Courtois explains the childhood dream that he couldn’t achieve at Chelsea”. Football London
“13 fun facts about Thibaut Courtois”. Goal
“Courtois: Today I fulfill a childhood dream and join the best club in the world”. Marca
“Thibaut Courtois | Chelsea Season Preview 2015/16”. We Ain’t Got No History
“Thibaut Courtois’ Agent Says Family Was Only Reason Behind Real Madrid Transfer”. Bleacher Report
“Thibaut Courtois – Player profile 24/25”. Transfermarkt
