Former Belgium star Rene Vandereycken has defended Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

Vandereycken insists his countryman was treated poorly by Real fans and media at the beginning of the season after Keylor Navas left for PSG.

He told AS: "They were waiting to find anything small to criticise him. They were not football arguments. It was not his fault the bad start, but that the team did not play well. This is more difficult for him too, but he is doing well.

"He may not have always been in very good shape, but it was not his fault that Madrid did not play well. If he had made many mistakes, he could have said it was his fault, but ... He was criticised because many journalists and fans wanted and had a lot of contact with the other goalkeeper.

"Keylor won the Champions League, but there came a time when there was a better goalkeeper and he had to play instead of him.

"It was not correct, the criticism were too much."