Courtois excited by Van Bommel appointment
Mark van Bommel is Belgium's new head coach, but it remains to be seen if Thibaut Courtois will play for the national team under him.
Thibaut Courtois has welcomed the appointment of Mark van Bommel as Belgium's new coach but admits he is still unsure about his own international future.
Rudi Garcia opted to leave Belgium at the end of his contract this month after the nation's quarter-final exit from the World Cup, at the hands of eventual winner Spain.
The Red Devils swiftly appointed Van Bommel as his successor, as he signed a contract through to the European Championships in 2028.
He will officially begin his role on 15 August.
This will be Van Bommel's fourth managerial role, and his first since spending two years in the Belgian Pro League with Royal Antwerp between 2022 and 2024.
During his time in Belgium, he won the Belgian league title, the Belgian Cup and Belgian Super Cup. He won the top-flight crown in his first-ever season as manager, starting that 2022-2023 campaign with nine straight victories.
Courtois admitted he was not surprised by the appointment and believes it is a good move for Belgium.
"It wasn't really a surprise because his name had been circulating for quite a while," Courtois said. "I think he proved at Antwerp that he's a top coach. A lot of the players speak very positively about him, so I'm looking forward to getting to know him.
"The most important thing is that Van Bommel himself played at the highest level and knows what it's like to play matches like these.
"That top-level experience is definitely a positive, and it naturally earns a lot of respect from the players."
After Belgium's World Cup exit, Courtois, who went off injured in the quarter-final, admitted he could benefit from a “break” from the national team.
Belgium begins its Nations League campaign against Italy in September, with two matches against France to follow, either side of a clash with Turkiye during an extended international break.
Courtois insists he is still not thinking about retiring from the Belgium team, but he still feels skipping the upcoming games could be beneficial.
"After the World Cup, I definitely still want to continue, but it will depend on the conversation I have with him," he said.
"I'd like to have some rest during the Nations League, and we'll have to try to reach an agreement on that.
"After that, I'll decide whether I want to continue or not."
