'World-class goalkeeper' Thibaut Courtois (34, Real Madrid) sincerely comforted Antonin Kinski (23, born 2003, Tottenham Hotspur).
The U.S. edition of 'BolaVip' reported on the 13th (Korean time), "Courtois publicly sent a message of support to Tottenham goalkeeper Kinski. He even recalled his own nightmarish experiences against Lionel Messi to encourage the young goalkeeper," the report said.
Kinski had his worst day on the 11th in Riyadh Air Metropolitano in Madrid, Spain, in the first leg of the 2025-2026 UEFA Champions League (UCL) round of 16 against Atlético Madrid. Coach Igor Tudor took a gamble by starting his backup goalkeeper, but it produced the worst possible result.
Kinski committed a fatal passing error from the start, conceding the opening goal, and in the 15th minute of the first half he spilled the ball with a mis-kick, gifting the third goal. He was immediately replaced by Guglielmo Vicario and taken to the bench. Tottenham, shaken early, conceded two more goals and fell 2-5.
It was a 15 minutes so nightmarish it could cause trauma. Although Kinski is known for his ball control at his feet, he slipped from the start—perhaps unable to adapt to Atlético's pitch—and was badly rattled. Besides Kinski, Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven also slipped and provided an opportunity for a goal.
After the match, messages of consolation poured in for Kinski. Antoine Griezmann, who shook Tottenham's net, said, "There were moments when (Tottenham players) were slipping a bit. Our home stadium was an advantage for us," adding, "Honestly, it's disappointing. If the coach put that goalkeeper in the starting lineup, he should have stuck with him. Mentally it must have been very difficult for that goalkeeper. I don't think it was the best choice."
Goalkeepers in particular supported Kinski. Peter Schmeichel, who was commentating on the match, said, "Replacing Kinski will affect his entire career. It has effectively ruined his career," and argued, "Every time Kinski's name is mentioned in the future, the whole soccer world will recall this moment. At least he should have been supported through the first half."
Former Tottenham player Paul Robinson also criticized Tudor's early substitution, calling it "an action that completely destroys confidence" and saying, "I've never seen such a scene in a football match."
Courtois sent a personal message of consolation. He said after Manchester City's match on the 12th, "I was on my way home so I couldn't watch the match live. It was hard to watch that moment (of Kinski). So I sent him a personal message."
Courtois continued, "I also made mistakes when I played for Atlético and Chelsea. I received a lot of criticism even when Messi nutmegged me twice," adding, "So I told him he should learn from this. Life is tough, but don't lose confidence. He has talent and must keep working hard."
Finally Courtois advised, "The goalkeeper position is very vulnerable. A mistake leads directly to a goal. I hope Tottenham and his teammates will support him," adding, "Moving forward is mentally very difficult. He needs to regain confidence in training and show good form in matches."
Meanwhile, Kinski left a message of thanks on social media to those who supported him. He wrote a short post: "Thank you for the messages of support. From dream to nightmare, and back to a dream. See you soon."
[Photo] Fabrizio Romano, ⓒGettyimages (unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited)
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