Chelsea keeper blasts former Man United boss Van Gaal

Thibaut Courtois says former Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal “should not talk about goalkeepers”.

Courtois came in for criticism earlier this month for his part in Chelsea’s Champions League exit to Barcelona.

The keeper was accused of being beaten too easily by Lionel Messi in Barca’s second-leg 3-0 victory in the Nou Camp.

Van Gaal, the former Barcelona manager, was among those to criticise the Belgian.

“The game was turned upside down due to the blunder of Courtois [for Messi’s first goal] which I think is a big blunder,” Van Gaal told Ziggo Sports

“If he’d have had [Dutch former Manchester United goalkeeping coach] Frans Hoek as goalkeeper coach, he would have closed his legs.

“That just should not be allowed to happen.”

But Courtois has responded by saying the Dutchman should not offer an opinion on something he knows little about.

“When I hear so-called experts talking, I think they know nothing about goalkeeping — for example, Van Gaal should not talk about goalkeepers,” he told Sporza.

But Courtois then admitted Van Gaal perhaps had a point.

“I have often played against Messi and it was not the first time he scored with a shot between my legs,” he said.

“For a goalkeeper of my height it is probably my weakest point. That is very annoying, but I have to face it. I have to acknowledge my mistake as a man.”

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