At the age of 22, Thibaut Courtois already has a pile of silverware and a reputation as one of the best goalkeepers in the world.
So when it comes to the World Cup, Belgium’s No 1 is a rookie in name only.
Belgium coach Marc Wilmots rattled off the list of honours Courtois has collected since he played his first game for Racing Genk at age 16, right up to last month’s Champions League final with Atletico Madrid: “Look at where he plays, his development. Champion at Genk, then you win Uefa Cup, then the Super Cup, Champions League final, and you win the Spanish league title,” he said with a staccato rhythm, surely forgetting a few honours in between.
As a measure of his stature, Courtois is the undisputed No 1 goalie for Tuesday’s game against Algeria even if Liverpool’s Simon Mignolet, coming off a great season himself, is ready to step in whenever needed.
With some saying talented players shouldn’t leave their home country too early, Courtois is proof that it can be done.
At 19 he was a stranger in the city of Madrid. Two years later, his Spanish was fluent, and his goalkeeping without compare in a nation that has a World Cup winner in Iker Casillas. Courtois was given the top goalkeeping award in Spain for the past two years.
The daring move to Spain as a teenager by way of Chelsea is already paying dividends. Among his many attributes, hs calmness under pressure is among the most impressive.
Nowhere is that more important than at a World Cup.
“If you go abroad quickly and are able to play such games with Atletico, then you know what to expect here. Others might have more nerves,” he said.
Wilmots said that, “he always stays cool and collected. He feels no pressure and he is hungry.”
Even after a year that was capped by winning the La Liga title at Barcelona’s Camp Nou in the last round.
Courtois was looking at a perfect season until Real Madrid equalised in injury time in the Champions League final before sweeping past their crosstown rivals 4-1 in extra time.
Courtois, though, is young and moving fast, looking forward to his biggest challenge yet.
“I’ve been looking forward to this as of my last match with Atletico,” he said.
Beyond his poise, what stands out is his appearance. At 1.99 metres (6ft 6ins), he can’t hide he is a child of two Belgian top class volleyball players. He can pluck crosses out of the air with consummate ease, leaving the biggest forwards all too often waiting in vain for the ball.
Add to that an uncanny speed for such a tall athlete to get down on the grass to swat out low drives. And for purists, there is little as graceful as to see him flying through the air to tip high balls over or wide.
To understand what to expect at the World Cup, Courtois did his homework by asking Altetico teammate Diego Godin.
The Uruguay central defender already had his World Cup moment, playing in the semi-finals in Cape Town four years ago.
“He said his semi-final in South Africa could be compared to the final of the Champions League,” Courtois said.
So, been there, done that.
“I can picture it when I look to the intensity,” he said.
If Courtois excels here, he could become the third Belgian to win the Lev Yashin trophy as best World Cup goalie after Jean-Marie Pfaff did it in 1986 and Michel Preud’homme in 1994.
Strangely enough, though, it is not a Belgian Courtois has been looking up to.
His hero always was Edwin van der Sar of the Netherlands, Ajax, Juventus and Manchester United. The equally tall Van der Sar got as far as the World Cup semi-finals in 1998.
“I always looked up to him,” Courtois said. “Our styles resemble, so does our build.”
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The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
Dolittle
Director: Stephen Gaghan
Stars: Robert Downey Jr, Michael Sheen
One-and-a-half out of five stars
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RESULTS
5pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Racing Festival Purebred Arabian Cup Conditions (PA) Dh 200,000 (Turf) 1,600m
Winner: Hameem, Adrie de Vries (jockey), Abdallah Al Hammadi (trainer)
5.30pm: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Cup Conditions (PA) Dh 200,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: Winked, Connor Beasley, Abdallah Al Hammadi
6pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Cup Listed (TB) Dh 380,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: Boerhan, Ryan Curatolo, Nicholas Bachalard
6.30pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Group 3 (PA) Dh 500,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: AF Alwajel, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Jewel Crown Group 1 (PA) Dh 5,000,000 (T) 2,200m
Winner: Messi, Pat Dobbs, Timo Keersmaekers
7.30pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Racing Festival Handicap (PA) Dh 150,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Harrab, Ryan Curatolo, Jean de Roualle
8pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 100,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: AF Alareeq, Connor Beasley, Ahmed Al Mehairbi
What is the Supreme Petroleum Council?
The Abu Dhabi Supreme Petroleum Council was established in 1988 and is the highest governing body in Abu Dhabi’s oil and gas industry. The council formulates, oversees and executes the emirate’s petroleum-related policies. It also approves the allocation of capital spending across state-owned Adnoc’s upstream, downstream and midstream operations and functions as the company’s board of directors. The SPC’s mandate is also required for auctioning oil and gas concessions in Abu Dhabi and for awarding blocks to international oil companies. The council is chaired by Sheikh Khalifa, the President and Ruler of Abu Dhabi while Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, is the vice chairman.
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
How green is the expo nursery?
Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery
An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo
Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery
Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape
The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides
All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality
Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country
Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow
Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site
Green waste is recycled as compost
Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs
Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers
About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer
Main themes of expo is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.
Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months
The specs: 2019 Jeep Wrangler
Price, base: Dh132,000
Engine: 3.6-litre V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 285hp @ 6,400rpm
Torque: 347Nm @ 4,100rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.6L to 10.3L / 100km
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
