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Courtois Ready for Penalties against Liverpool: 'It's a Moment to Shine'

Real Madrid's goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, background, stops a penalty kick by Levante's Roger Marti during the match at the Alfredo Di Stefano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Jan. 30, 2021. (AP)
Real Madrid's goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, background, stops a penalty kick by Levante's Roger Marti during the match at the Alfredo Di Stefano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Jan. 30, 2021. (AP)
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Courtois Ready for Penalties against Liverpool: 'It's a Moment to Shine'

Real Madrid's goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, background, stops a penalty kick by Levante's Roger Marti during the match at the Alfredo Di Stefano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Jan. 30, 2021. (AP)
Real Madrid's goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, background, stops a penalty kick by Levante's Roger Marti during the match at the Alfredo Di Stefano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Jan. 30, 2021. (AP)

Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has said he will not be afraid to take a penalty if their Champions League final against Liverpool goes the distance on Saturday.

Courtois has an impressive record saving penalties this season, having stopped three of his five faced, including one from Lionel Messi against Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of the last 16.

It proved a crucial moment as Madrid came back from 1-0 down in the second leg to win the tie 3-2, AFP said.

The Belgian was also instrumental in Madrid's most recent penalty shoot-out victory in 2020, as he dived to palm away Thomas Partey's shot in the final of the Spanish Super Cup against Atletico Madrid. Real Madrid won their last Champions League final that went to penalties, also against Atletico in 2016.

Courtois said he will be doing his homework on Liverpool's most likely takers while the 30-year-old said he is also ready to step up if required.

"I remember in pre-season with Chelsea against PSG I scored one and in the Community Shield against Arsenal I missed one," said Courtois. "(Antonio) Conte put me there because he knew I could shoot well, but obviously standing on the spot, in an important moment, is different.

"I wouldn't be one of the first five (takers), for sure, but maybe after, if you need to shoot, you have to shoot. I don't fear it. It’s a moment to shine.

"We won one (shoot-out) against Atletico Madrid in the Super Cup a few years ago when I saved one penalty. This season I have saved three.

"You study ahead. Against Chelsea we had two penalties and you study them, because you can see the similarities. Hopefully it will not come back to that but if it does, I will be ready."

Mohamed Salah has already said he wants revenge for their loss to Real Madrid in the 2018 final, when two errors by Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius gifted Madrid the win.

Liverpool signed Alisson Becker a few weeks later for a world-record 75 million euros and the Brazilian has been a revelation ever since.

"He is a great goalkeeper," said Courtois. "The times I have played against him in England and with Real, he is one of the best goalkeepers in the world.

"He has great quality and has saved Liverpool a lot of times. Nowadays you need a good defense and goalkeeper and at the other end you need strikers who score you goals, that is what takes you far."

"If you go back 15 or 20 years it was really different," Courtois added. "To be a goalkeeper now you have to be a playmaker from the back, you have to come out as a 'libero' to (meet) the ball in behind and run out and take it.

"They expect you to be calm on the ball and to make decisive passes but obviously you don't have someone behind you that can save you because you are the last man.

"You know that sometimes there can be a mistake and I hope it is not coming for me. I don't want to wish that on any goalkeeper."

Real Madrid have shown their magic touch again in the Champions League this season, after staging three consecutive comebacks against PSG, Chelsea and then Manchester City to reach the final.

"You just have to see the games we played at home against Paris, Chelsea and City. The moment we equalize or score that goal, the reaction of the other team - you can see that they know what can happen," Courtois said.

"You can see at 1-1 against City, the reaction of the players. That is what makes Madrid so special, that is why it is so amazing and people talk so much about the history of Real Madrid."

Real Madrid will be going for a record-extending 14th European Cup while Liverpool will be chasing their seventh, to pull level with AC Milan as the second most successful club in the competition’s history.

Liverpool have already won the League Cup and FA Cup in England this season.

"We don't have to go crazy because it's a game that could go back and forth," said Courtois. "We have to be clear about how we want to play and not play their game. We have to make them play our game, that’s the important thing."

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Sports

IOC Boss Coventry Hails Milano Cortina Games a Success

20 February 2026, Italy, Milan: President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Kirsty Coventry holds a press conference. (dpa)
20 February 2026, Italy, Milan: President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Kirsty Coventry holds a press conference. (dpa)
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IOC Boss Coventry Hails Milano Cortina Games a Success

20 February 2026, Italy, Milan: President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Kirsty Coventry holds a press conference. (dpa)
20 February 2026, Italy, Milan: President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Kirsty Coventry holds a press conference. (dpa)

The Milano Cortina Olympics exceeded expectations despite a shaky build-up, IOC President Kirsty Coventry said on Friday, hailing the first spread-out Winter Games a success.

"These Games are truly ... successful in a new way of doing things, in a sustainable way of doing things, in a way that I think many people thought maybe we couldn't do, or couldn't be done well, and it's been done extremely well, and it's surpassed everyone's expectations," Coventry told a press conference.

It was the International Olympic Committee chief's clearest endorsement yet of a format that split events across several Alpine clusters rather than concentrating them in one host city.

Her assessment came after two weeks in which organizers sought to prove that a geographically dispersed Games could still deliver a consistent athlete experience.

The smooth delivery ‌comes after years ‌of logistical and political challenges, including construction delays at Milan’s Santagiulia Arena ‌and ⁠controversy over building ⁠a new sliding center in Cortina against IOC advice.

Organizers have also faced isolated disruptions during the Games, such as suspected sabotage on rail lines and protests in Milan over housing and environmental issues.

Transport concerns across the dispersed venues have been mitigated by limited cross-regional travel among spectators, though some competitors had to walk to the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium in heavy snowfall that stopped traffic.

Central to the success of the Games, Coventry argued, was the effort to standardize conditions across multiple athlete villages despite the distances separating venues from Cortina d’Ampezzo to ⁠Livigno and Bormio.

Italian athletes’ performances also helped ticket sales, which amounted to ‌about 1.4 million.

"And the athletes are extremely happy. And they're happy ‌because the experiences that the MiCo (Milano Cortina) team and my team delivered to them have been the same," she ‌said.

Mixed relay silver medalist Tommaso Giacomel did, however, lament the fact there was no Olympic village near ‌the Antholz-Anterselva Biathlon Arena and that competitors were dotted around different hotels near the venue instead of in one place.

TWO OPENING CEREMONIES

Two opening ceremonies were held - the main one at Milan’s San Siro stadium and a more low-key parade on Cortina d’Ampezzo's Corso Italia, where athletes and spectators were within touching distance.

Feedback from competitors suggested the more intimate ‌settings had in some cases enhanced the Olympic atmosphere, Coventry said, taking the Cortina opening ceremony as an example.

The Zimbabwean, presiding over her first Games ⁠as IOC chief after elections in ⁠2025, framed Milano Cortina as proof of concept for future hosts grappling with rising costs and climate constraints, while acknowledging adjustments would follow.

"It allows us to really look at ourselves and look at the things that we have in place and how we're then going to make certain adjustments for the future," she said.

Beyond logistics, Coventry pointed to the broader impact of the Games, highlighting gender balance - with women making up 47% of competitors - and global engagement as marks of progress.

"But it's been an incredible experience and we're all very proud to have gender equity playing a big role in the delivery of the Games," she said, describing a "tremendous Games" in which athletes have "come together and shared in their passion".

With the closing ceremony in Verona approaching, Coventry said the focus would soon shift to a formal evaluation process, but insisted the headline conclusion was already clear.

"So we look forward to doing that and to learning from all the incredible experiences that I think all of the stakeholders have had across these Games, across these past two weeks," she said.

Sports

‘A Huge Mistake.’ Kompany Hits Out at Mourinho for Vinícius Júnior Comments

14 February 2026, Bremen: Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany gestures during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Werder Bremen and Bayern Munich at Weserstation. (dpa)
14 February 2026, Bremen: Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany gestures during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Werder Bremen and Bayern Munich at Weserstation. (dpa)
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‘A Huge Mistake.’ Kompany Hits Out at Mourinho for Vinícius Júnior Comments

14 February 2026, Bremen: Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany gestures during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Werder Bremen and Bayern Munich at Weserstation. (dpa)
14 February 2026, Bremen: Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany gestures during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Werder Bremen and Bayern Munich at Weserstation. (dpa)

Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany has criticized José Mourinho for attacking the character of Vinícius Júnior after the Real Madrid star accused an opponent of racially insulting him during a Champions League match.

Benfica coach Mourinho suggested that Brazil forward Vinícius had incited Benfica's players with his celebrations after scoring the only goal in Tuesday's playoff match.

Vinícius accused Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni of calling him "monkey" during a confrontation after his goal.

Mourinho also questioned why Vinícius, who is Black and has been subjected to repeated racist insults in Spain, was so frequently targeted.

"There is something wrong because it happens in every stadium," Mourinho said. "The stadium where Vinícius played something happened. Always."

Speaking on Friday, Kompany condemned Mourinho's comments.

"So after the game you have the leader of an organization, José Mourinho, who attacks the character of Vinícius Júnior by bringing in the type of celebration to discredit what Vinícius is doing in this moment," Kompany said. "And for me in terms of leadership, it’s a huge mistake and it’s something that we should not accept."

Mourinho’s celebrations

UEFA appointed a special investigator on Wednesday to gather evidence about what happened in Lisbon in Madrid’s 1-0 win in the first leg of the Champions League playoffs. Madrid said it had sent "all available evidence" of the alleged incident to European soccer's governing body.

Referring to Vinícius' celebrations after curling a shot into the top corner, Mourinho said he should "celebrate in a respectful way."

Kompany pointed out Mourinho's own history of exuberant celebrations — such as when he ran down the sideline to cheer when his Porto team beat Manchester United in the Champions League.

Kompany said Mourinho's former players "love him" and added "I know he’s a good person."

"I don’t need to judge him as a person, but I know what I’ve heard. I understand maybe what he’s done, but he’s made a mistake and it’s something that hopefully in the future won’t happen like this again," he said.

Prestianni denied racially insulting Vinícius. Benfica said the Argentine player was the victim of a "defamation campaign."

‘Right thing to do’

Kompany said Vinícius' reaction "cannot be faked."

"You can see it — his reaction is an emotional reaction. I don’t see any benefit for him to go to the referee and put all this misery on his shoulders," he said. "There is absolutely no reason for Vini Junior to go and do this.

"I think in his mind he’s doing it more because it’s the right thing to do in that moment."

Kompany added: "You have a player who’s complaining. You have a player who says he didn’t do it. And I think unless the player himself comes forward, it’s difficult. It’s a difficult case."

Sports

FIFA to Lead $75m Palestinian Soccer Rebuilding Fund

President of FIFA Gianni Infantino attended the inaugural meeting of US President Donald Trump's 'Board of Peace'. CHIP SOMODEVILLA / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
President of FIFA Gianni Infantino attended the inaugural meeting of US President Donald Trump's 'Board of Peace'. CHIP SOMODEVILLA / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
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FIFA to Lead $75m Palestinian Soccer Rebuilding Fund

President of FIFA Gianni Infantino attended the inaugural meeting of US President Donald Trump's 'Board of Peace'. CHIP SOMODEVILLA / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
President of FIFA Gianni Infantino attended the inaugural meeting of US President Donald Trump's 'Board of Peace'. CHIP SOMODEVILLA / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP

FIFA will spearhead a $75 million fund to rebuild soccer facilities in Gaza that were destroyed by the war between Israel and Hamas, President Donald Trump and the sport's governing body said Thursday.

Trump made the announcement in Washington at the first meeting of his "Board of Peace," an amorphous institution that features two dozen of the US president's close allies and is initially focused on rebuilding the Gaza strip, said AFP.

"I'm also pleased to announce that FIFA will be helping to raise a total of $75 million for projects in Gaza," said Trump.

"And I think they're soccer related, where you're doing fields and you're getting the greatest stars in the world to go there -- people that are bigger stars than you and I, Gianni," he added, referring to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who was present at the event.

"So it's really something. We'll soon be detailing the announcement, and if I can do I'll get over there with you," Trump said.

Later Thursday, FIFA issued a statement providing more details, including plans to construct a football academy, a new 20,000-seat national stadium and dozens of pitches.

The FIFA communique did not mention Trump's $75 million figure, and said funds would be raised "from international leaders and institutions."

Infantino has fostered close ties with Trump, awarding him an inaugural FIFA "Peace Prize" at the World Cup draw in December.

At Thursday's meeting, the FIFA president donned a red baseball cap emblazoned with "USA" and "45-47," the latter a reference to Trump's two terms in the White House.

In FIFA's statement, Infantino hailed "a landmark partnership agreement that will foster investment into football for the purpose of helping the recovery process in post conflict areas."

The "Board of Peace" came together after the Trump administration, teaming up with Qatar and Egypt, negotiated a ceasefire in October to halt two years of devastating war in Gaza.

The United States says it is now focused on disarming Hamas -- the Palestinian group whose unprecedented October 7, 2023, attack on Israel triggered the massive offensive.