Courtois Denies Madrid Players Conspired Against Alonso

Thibaut Courtois, the goalkeeper for Real Madrid, strongly denied allegations that players plotted against former manager Xabi Alonso after their 3-0 victory over Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 on Wednesday night. Alonso, who joined Real Madrid last summer after a successful stint at Bayer Leverkusen, faced pressure as the team's performance dipped later in the campaign, leading to his dismissal in January.

Reports had surfaced suggesting unrest within the squad, but Courtois pushed back against these claims, highlighting Alonso's impressive win rate of 70.59% during his time at the club, with 24 wins out of 34 matches across competitions. Real Madrid managed to recover enough to reach the Supercopa de España final, where they lost 3-2 to FC Barcelona.

The team is now focused on the return leg against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday, aiming to secure a place in the Champions League quarter-finals.