Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois admitted he has been saddened by the reaction of some Chelsea fans to his summer move to Spain.
Courtois joined Los Blancos shortly before last month's Premier League transfer deadline after spending four years as the No. 1 at Stamford Bridge. Since his move, he has faced animosity from a portion of his former fan base - something that was not helped by his failure to report for preseason training after returning from World Cup duty with Belgium.
When asked how he felt about the reaction to his move from Blues supporters, the 26-year old said, "It makes me feel sad and obviously they don't know all the truth," according to Sky Sports.
The man who helped his country to third place in Russia this summer went on to explain he decided not to return to training in west London because he believed his move to Madrid was already agreed.
"I think in March, the decision was already made and I thought the club would accept it," he said. "Then, because the transfer was closed, I did not show up (to training) because I thought it better not to disturb the team and the squad.
"If I did go there maybe I didn't want to be toxic, so obviously it is a pity because I love Chelsea. I loved playing there and I am happy to have won two Premier Leagues, a League Cup, and an FA Cup. Hopefully, (the supporters' opinion) will turn around."
Courtois made his debut for Real in a 4-1 win over Leganes on Sept. 1 after conceding six goals in seven games for Belgium at the World Cup. Chelsea, meanwhile, made Athletic Bilbao's Kepa Arrizabalaga the world's most expensive goalkeeper ever when they signed the Spaniard as Courtois' replacement for €80 million (£71.6 million).
