Atletico Madrid president, Enrique Cerezo, has confirmed that Thibaut Courtois is unlikely to play Chelsea, if his club would face the Blues in the Champions League semi-final.
Courtois is currently playing his third season on-loan at the Vicente Calderon and has impressed throughout the campaign.
Unlike in the Premier League, Courtois would be allowed to face his parent club, but the feature of their first-choce goal keeper would cost Atletico a lot of money.
AS reported that Chelsea inserted a clause in Courtios loan-deal that Atletico would have to pay €3m (R 43 million) per appearance of the Belgian against Chelsea.
Despite not disclosing the exact amount, Atletico president Cerezo has confirmed that the clause does exist and if the two teams are drawn together, Courtois would be unlikely to feature.
“It is a figure that we cannot pay,” he told Spanish radio Onda Cero.
Should his club be drawn against Chelsea on Friday and decide not to play Courtois, then number two, 34-year-old Dani Aranzubia, who has only played once this season, would feature in Atletico’s first semi-final in 40 years.
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