Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has defended teammate Senne Lammens following an error that led to Spain's 2-1 win and Belgium's elimination from the World Cup.
Lammens replaced Courtois in the 71st minute due to a muscle issue and spilled a long-range shot from Pau Cubarsi in the 88th minute. Mikel Merino then scored the winning goal for Spain.
Courtois offered support to Lammens after the match. "Senne, yeah I gave him a big hug, much more I cannot do," he said. "He’s a great goalkeeper and he’ll only get stronger from this."
The Real Madrid goalkeeper also revealed he had wanted to stay on the pitch despite discomfort. He noted the substitution decision belonged to the coach.
Courtois said he would discuss his international future with the team coach and Vincent Mannaert. He suggested possibly skipping Nations League matches before returning for qualifiers.
