Thibaut Courtois Says Standard Is Superior at Real Madrid Compared to Chelsea

Thibaut Courtois has taken a swipe at former club Chelsea by declaring that the standard at Real Madrid is higher than at Stamford Bridge, according to his early experiences with his new team.

The goalkeeper left west London for the Spanish capital this summer, and the Belgian says life at the Bernabeu Stadium is a level above his time in the Premier League.

Speaking to Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad (h/t Mark Jones of the Mirror), Courtois said:

"In training, you see that the level is high. I am now experiencing on a daily basis that Sergio Ramos is the best centre-back in the world. The level [at Real Madrid] is higher than at Chelsea. [The Bernabeu is] twice as big [as Stamford Bridge], of course, it's a very different feeling. If you look forward, you only see a wall of people, while at Stamford Bridge you can still see the sky or the hotel behind the grandstand."

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Per BBC Sport, the Belgium international signed a six-year contract with Los Blancos, while Mateo Kovacic moved in the opposite direction to the Bridge on loan.

The transfer triggered the Blues' capture of Athletic Bilbao No. 1 Kepa Arrizabalaga, who signed for a world-record fee for a goalkeeper of £71 million.

FIFA announced on Monday that Courtois had made the three-man shortlist for The Best FIFA Goalkeeper award at their upcoming ceremony on Sept. 24 in London:

Courtois is joined by Tottenham Hotspur stopper Hugo Lloris, who captained France to victory at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, and Leicester City 'keeper Kasper Schmeichel.

The Belgian was a huge loss for Chelsea, but Kepa has the potential to be one of the best in the world in the coming years.

The 23-year-old has a way to go before he reaches Courtois's level, but he is arguably the better long-term prospect.