The “dictator” is actually the dressing-room joker, Courtois reveals

Social media has spent plenty of time portraying Kylian Mbappé as an all-powerful figure who controls everything around him. Thibaut Courtois has now offered a very different glimpse inside the Real Madrid dressing room.

Speaking during a quick-fire feature with DAZN at Madrid’s Formula 1 circuit, Courtois named Mbappé as the biggest joker in the squad. When asked whether the Frenchman really was that funny, the goalkeeper laughed and confirmed it without hesitation.

MBAPPÉ BRINGS THE JOKES AND LEADS THE CELEBRATIONS

According to Courtois, Mbappé is also the player who celebrates victories more enthusiastically than anyone else. That description is a long way from the cold and controlling character regularly created by online memes.

Courtois had an answer for most of his teammates. Dean Huijsen was named the squad’s biggest sleeper, while Vinícius was identified as the player most likely to invite everyone out. Eduardo Camavinga, Huijsen and Aurélien Tchouaméni are responsible for much of the dressing-room music, while Antonio Rüdiger sets the standard for intensity in training.

The Belgian was equally honest about himself. He admitted that he is most likely to arrive at the last possible moment or turn up late. He also described himself as the player who takes defeats hardest and jokingly accepted the role of the team’s father because, at 34, he is the oldest member of the group.

A DIFFERENT PICTURE FROM THE ONLINE MEMES

Courtois’ comments came shortly after Mbappé addressed the viral images depicting him as a dictator. The Real Madrid forward acknowledged that some of them were intended as harmless jokes but questioned the historical and human awareness behind comparisons with figures responsible for real suffering.

A light-hearted DAZN feature cannot settle every debate about a player’s personality. It does, however, provide a more direct account from someone who shares the dressing room with Mbappé every day. Courtois’ version contains no throne and no orders. It features jokes, loud celebrations and a teammate who appears far more relaxed inside the group than his online caricature suggests.

Courtois also revealed that he holds UEFA B and UEFA A coaching licences. He has no ambition to manage Real Madrid’s first team, explaining that he would rather coach children. Asked to nominate a potential future coach from the current squad, he selected Jude Bellingham.