Sarcasm towards Courtois? Koke: Players should know their place and be smarter

The Madrid Derby on the night of September 30th ended in a 1-1 draw between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid. After the match, Koke, the core midfielder of Atletico Madrid, spoke to the media, sharing his thoughts on the game.

Regarding the intensity of the match, Koke said, “Actually, the game only really reached its climax in the second half. Both teams played relatively conservatively in the first half, looking for opportunities to take the lead. In the end, we finished with a draw.”

About the result of the draw, Koke said, “Our goal in every match is to win, and today was no exception. Although we were eager to get all three points, in the second half, the team showed a spirit of daring to take risks and being proactive in attacking, which I found very satisfying. Even though the result wasn’t what we hoped for.”

Talking about the incident where fans threw objects at Courtois, causing the match to be suspended, Koke said, “The atmosphere was indeed tense at the time. Such behavior should not occur in football matches. Clearly, we are professional players and should know our place. We can’t blame everyone because of a few individuals; as players, we should be smarter.”

Spanish newspaper AS believes that Koke’s words imply that Courtois should also bear responsibility for the incident, as he celebrated in front of Atletico Madrid’s fans after Real Madrid scored.

Koke said, “Actually, the situation wasn’t particularly tense. Our captain communicated with the referee to ensure that the match could be suspended if necessary. Fortunately, the situation did not escalate further, and the match proceeded smoothly. This was undoubtedly a passionate and challenging match, with both sides displaying extremely high levels of competitiveness.”