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It was indeed a great year for Chelsea’s 22-year-old goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois who was named as the Belgian Sportsman of the Year for his achievements with Atletico Madrid last season during his loan spell at the Spanish club, leading them to a title winning season and a final against Real Madrid.
A very prestigious accolade in Belgian sports, this award has been running since 1967, but this was the first time that a footballer had claimed the title, as claimed by Chelsea’s official website.
Courtois beat his Chelsea team-mate Eden Hazard who was also in the running for the award alongside former Chelsea player Kevin de Bruyne. Hazard finished fifth in the list while de Bruyne was named as the eight best.
When asked about his former player winning an accolade of this statute, Atletico Madrid manager Deigo Simeone said, “Everything that happens to players that have shown a great deal of commitment with us makes me happy. He’s a lad that grew a lot in the three years he was here.”
"He deserves everything that is happening to him and his family. I send him my best regards; he’s one of the best and last season he was really important,” he added.
