THIBAUT COURTOIS’ sister apologised to Leonardo Spinazzola after an ironic statement during Italy’s clash with Belgium.
The Azzurri defeated Roberto Martinez’s men 2-1 on Friday at the Allianz Arena thanks to goals by Nicolo Barella and Lorenzo Insigne, before Romelu Lukaku converted a penalty kick.
But Roberto Mancini’s side suffered a devastating loss during the quarter-final clash as Spinazzola ruptured his Achilles tendon and was carried off on a stretcher off in tears.
While the Roma star was receiving medical treatment on the pitch, Courtois’ sister Valerie immediately shared a story on her personal Instagram account accusing the left-back of time-wasting.
She posted a picture of the incident and captioned it with: “We call it tricks of the trade.”
However, Spinazzola wasn’t faking it and it later emerged that he will miss the rest of Euro 2020.
Upon hearing the news, Valerie, who is a former pro volleyball player, issued another statement apologising for her previous post.
She wrote: “So sorry to find out Spinazzola’s EC [Euro Cup] finishes like this.
“I apologise for my reaction in the moment and absolutely hope he has a good recovery.”
According to Football Italia, Spinazzola is going to be out of action for the next six months.
Italian Football Federation president Gabriele Gravina previously said: “I felt very sorry for Spinazzola, because he had been giving so much to this team.
“I wish him the best of luck for a quick return, because not only is he a great professional, but he has also shown great personal qualities.”
Italy are now scheduled to take on Spain in the semi-finals on Tuesday at Wembley.
⚽ Follow ALL of the latest news and updates from Euro 2020 with our live blog
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
