Goalkeeper Courtois not to stay with Chelsea for long

Chelsea's Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois said he wants to be back in Spain and wont be with his current football club Chelsea for a long time.

"I feel half Spanish. When I said goodbye I had a bad time. It was not easy and I cried," the former Atletico Madrid player was quoted as saying by Spanish newspaper Marca on Monday.

"Atletico is a family club. I still feel their love."

Asked if he plans to return to Spain, Courtois answered in the affirmative: "Yes, but not only because of the club, but how Madrid is and the whole country."

"From the first minute I fell in love with Spain for its people, lifestyle and food. I still maintain eating dinner and then an afternoon nap, most of the TV I watch is Spanish."

Courtois made 111 La Liga starts for Atletico, featuring in 37 league games three seasons in a row.

His best season was his final campaign in 2013-14 when Atletico were crowned champions of Spain, while they also reached the Champions League final.

Courtois also added the 2012 Europa League and the 2013 Copa del Rey to his list of honours during his time with Atletico.

Upon returning to Chelsea, Courtois continued his winning habit by helping Chelsea lift the English Premier League (EPL) trophy in 2015.

His current contract runs until June 2018, but he plans to make a decision on his Chelsea future in 2017.

He added: "I have a contract at Chelsea for three seasons. In 2018, when I enter the final year of the contract, we will assess whether to renew or leave."

--IANS

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