Courtois denies rifts in Belgian camp; gives strong warning to teammate who spread rumours

Star Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has vehemently denied rumours about there being a rift in their camp following their disappointing 2-0 defeat against Morocco in their previous FIFA World Cup 2022 clash. The Real Madrid shot stopper's comments come after reports emerged that Belgian captain Eden Hazard and star midfielder Kevin de Bruyne had a heated altercation with one another.

Courtois denies rumours of rift in Belgium squad

Belgium captain Eden Hazard and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois spoke to reporters on Tuesday to put an end to the rumours that are circulating about there being a rift in their team. Courtois, who is set to receive his 100th cap when Belgium takes on Croatia on December 1, said, "The problem is that too many lies are spread. A situation is described that doesn’t exist. As a group, we need to avoid that negativity."

The Real Madrid goalkeeper then went on to send a chilling warning to his teammates who leaked the conversation by adding, "The problem is that you believe everything you read. It's not always the players who bring out "the stuff". We don't need to find out who leaked this. If we catch him, it's his last day in the national team."

Meanwhile, Hazard commented upon the discussion that took place between himself and Kevin de Bruyne. "Nothing happened in the dressing room. Only the coach (Roberto Martinez) spoke. I spoke to Kevin De Bruyne, and he does believe in the group," explained the 31-year-old. There were rumours of a rift shortly after De Bruyne shockingly said in a recent interview that there was 'no chance' that second-ranked Belgium would win this year's FIFA World Cup as the players in the side were too old.

However, Hazard did admit that the team were extremely disappointed following their 2-0 defeat against Morocco. "We have to do better, we cannot deliver the performance we want (at the moment). We have to show it on the pitch, that is what counts. We still have quality in the group and are here to win. We lack confidence because of that last pass and that last dribble. We have to regain that confidence," added Hazard.