Champions League Final MVP Thibaut Courtois Demands Respect After Shutting Out Liverpool

Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was the MVP in the 2022 Champions League final.

After making nine saves to keep a clean sheet against Liverpool's star-studded attack, there was no other candidate for the man of the match award.

Speaking after Real's 1-0 victory at the Stade de France in Paris, Courtois agreed that he was the main reason his side won.

Courtois also revealed that he had received messages on social media in the build up to the game from fans in England claiming he would be "get humbled".

Thibaut Courtois pictured celebrating after helping Real Madrid beat Liverpool in the 2022 Champions League final

IMAGO/Sportimage/David Klein

He told BT Sport: "Yesterday in a press conference I said that when Madrid play in finals they win. I'm on the good side of history.

"I saw a lot of tweets coming my way saying that I would get humbled today but it was the other way around.

"I needed to win a final for my career, for all the hard work, to put respect on my name because I don't think I have enough respect, especially in England.

"I saw a lot of criticism, even after a great season, [claiming] that I was not good enough or whatever. I'm just really happy and proud of the performance of the team.

"We stuck through it and when I needed to be there I was there for the team."

Real beat Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Manchester City before getting the better of Liverpool in the final.

Courtois added: "I think we beat the best clubs of the world - together with us. If you see the year of City and Liverpool, they were unbelievable this season.

"They fought until the end in the Premier League. Liverpool won two cups. Today they were really strong and I think I played a great game and that was the difference, because we only had one chance and we scored it."

Courtois was a runner up against Real in the 2014 Champions League final while he was playing for Atletico Madrid.

He has won six trophies as a Real player - two La Liga titles, two Supercopa de Espana crowns, the 2018 Club World Cup and now the 2022 Champions League.