Antonin Kinski endured the embarrassment of being sent off midway through the Tottenham goalkeeper’s shocking display in the Champions League, but a great goalkeeper joined his defence.
Antonin Kinski lasted just 16 minutes before being sent off as a substitute (Image: Mutsu Kawamori/AFLO/Shutterstock)
Thibaut Courtois has revealed that he sent a message to Tottenham’s Antonin Kinski after Tuesday night’s nightmare, insisting that Atletico Madrid’s pitch was to blame.
The Czech shot-stopper was brought in as a substitute for Guglielmo Vicario in the Champions League game in Spain, but was hooked for 16 minutes after an unforgettable night. His pass error gave the La Liga team the lead within the first five minutes, but defensive confusion made it 2–0.
Kinski’s worst moment of the night came when he tried to make his first pass, but he scraped the kick and sent the ball into the path of Julian Alvarez, who scored the opening goal.
Then Tottenham manager Igor Tudor, in a show of sheer ruthlessness, pulled Kinski and handed Vicario back for the remaining games, but the London side ended up losing 5-2. The goalkeeper looked distraught and headed straight for the tunnel.
The Real Madrid goalkeeper has since reached out, believing that the Wanda Metropolitano pitch is causing a lot of problems. He said: “I sent him a message on Instagram because it was tough. In the end, nothing as bad as him happened to me, but after the game against Ajax here at home, I also received a lot of criticism.”
read more: Tottenham star Antonin Kinski breaks his silence after Champions League ‘nightmare’read more: Tottenham decide to sack manager Igor Tudor, Liverpool also approves
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The Belgian added: “It’s mentally tough to keep going. I need the support of the team to feel good again in training. In the end, I think the pitch is causing more problems, not just for Tottenham and Atlético, but for many of the teams that played there.”
Igor Tudor is under huge pressure after losing all four games, raising questions about his future. The Croatian admitted it was a mistake to introduce Kinski in midfield, but before the game he felt it was a wise move.
Thibaut Courtois reaches out to Tottenham’s goalkeeper after a nightmare match (Image: Getty Images)
“Looking at what happened, definitely it was the wrong decision. But for me it was the right decision, because thinking ahead, the team changed the competition and in that moment it was the right thing to do. Unfortunately, what happened happened. I have never changed goalkeepers in 14 minutes. It’s not easy, that’s what happened.”
Courtois did criticize Tudor’s decision to drag Kinski out after his second mistake, suggesting the young goalkeeper “could have regained some of the confidence he lost with some great saves”.
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