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Thibaut Courtois blasts Chelsea fans after they booed players for 0-0 draw against Leicester
The Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois criticised his club’s supporters’ attitude and said it was detrimental to the team after they booed Antonio Conte’s players’ third consecutive goalless draw at home to Leicester City.
There was dismay throughout another performance which lacked the familiar cutting edge of Conte’s champions and there were boos around the ground at full-time.
Speaking to the broadcaster Sky Sports, the Belgian said: "It doesn't help when the fans boo and whistle after each misplaced pass. We didn't play well but that's when we need the fans behind us.”
There was an incident outside Stamford Bridge when Courtois was returning to his car and in a melee of fans seeking photographs with the Belgian, one fell over and lashed out, kicking the goalkeeper’s trolley luggage. Courtois and the club confirmed that he was not hurt and neither was the supporter.
Chelsea failed to break down Leicester who were reduced to 10 men on 68 minutes when full-back Ben Chilwell was given his second yellow card, but the home side ended the game with just one attempt on target to their opponent’s seven.
Asked whether the answer might be signing Alexis Sanchez, in the last six months of his contract at Arsenal, Conte said that this was not his responsibility.
“As you know very well, this is a topic I don't want to deal with the press. I'm the coach. I'm trying to do the best with my players, to try and improve my players, to try to work and give every day 110 per cent. Sometimes this is enough. Sometimes this is not enough. It's not my business, not my business.”
Conte said that his players were suffering from fatigue after their mid-week Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against Arsenal. “I think, today, I saw a lot of players very tired. Very tired. I think we played with tiredness. We suffered a lot in the first half and at the start of the second half.”