Real Madrid's Thibaut Courtois has revealed that he contacted Antonín Kinsky and offered Tottenham's young Czech goalkeeper support after his horror Champions League debut.
Kinsky's bow in Europe's elite competition lasted just 17 minutes after a pair of egregious mistakes, leading to Atlético Madrid goals. The first, a cruel slip, meant his intended pass landed at the feet of Ademola Lookman, who squared for Marcos Llorente to finish.
Micky van de Ven then succumbed to what was a suspiciously slippery surface that didn't seem to bother the hosts like it did the away side. Antoine Griezmann's capitalised on the Dutchman's erroneous footwear and coolly converted past Kinsky to double Atléti's lead.
Moments later, Spurs' goalkeeper attempted a rather ambitious pass across his body out to the right, but made insufficient contact and instead allowed Julián Alvarez to convert into an empty net. It was the worst concession of a comedic bunch, and the moment that triggered his much-discussed substitution.
Goalkeepers' union comes rushing to Antonín Kinsky's aid
While Igor Tudor rationalised his decision post-match by saying he was trying to "preserve" Kinsky, many took issue with the Croat's lack of attention as his distraught 22-year-old shot-stopper trudged off the field. It was Kinsky's teammates, not Tudor, who consoled him as he walked down the tunnel and into the changing room.
It was a performance reminiscent of Loris Karius' disaster showing in the 2018 Champions League final, only this was condensed into barely 15 minutes of infamy. Karius never played for Liverpool again after his shocker in Kyiv, and despite his age, many are wondering whether Kinsky will ever recover in lilywhite.
No one who hasn't been a goalkeeper can understand how difficult it is to play in this position.
— David de Gea (@D_DeGea) March 10, 2026
Keep your head up and you will go again.
Still, the 22-year-old has received plenty of support from the goalkeepers' union. Former Manchester United stars David de Gea and Peter Schmeichel each offered messages of solidarity, with the latter saying Kinsky was "hung out to dry" by his manager. Courtois, arguably the world's best at his position, also said he offered encouragement to the young Czech
"After the Tottenham game last night, I contacted Antonin Kinsky. I made mistakes at Atlético Madrid, I made mistakes at Chelsea, I got nutmegged twice by [Lionel] Messi," he said after Madrid's stunning 3-0 victory over Manchester City on Wednesday.
"I have told him that he has to learn from this. Life is hard but he has to remain confident."
"The goalkeeper position is super vulnerable. When we make mistakes, it will end up in a goal. I ask Tottenham to support him."
It was a chastening night, no doubt, but we shouldn't forget that plenty were clamouring for Kinsky's insertion into the team, given the talent that was on show during his first few months at the club. That talent hasn't been sapped away by one ugly night, and Kinsky now has the chance to embark on quite the comeback story.
That's how he's got to look at it.