Real Madrid No.1 Courtois hits out at Ballon d'Or voting process: It's impossible for a goalkeeper to win!

• Won Yachine trophy for best goalkeeper
• Kept 22 clean sheets last campaign
• Was critical of Ballon d'Or voting process

WHAT HAPPENED? The Real Madrid No.1 won the Yachine Trophy for 2022, which is awarded to the best goalkeeper in the world. He kept 22 clean sheets in all competitions last season and conceded just 46 goals to help Madrid clinch both La Liga and the Champions League. However, he finished seventh in the final Ballon d'Or rankings, with teammate Karim Benzema clinching the award, which has made him question the voting process for the award.

WHAT THEY SAID: "You win La Liga and you win the Champions League, your team wins thanks to your saves… and you only finish seventh. The truth is that I see it as impossible. In the top 10, there wasn’t even a single defender. At least this year they have invented the trophy for best goalkeeper," he told Spanish outlet Teledeporte.

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Courtois claimed the Yachine trophy after seeing off competition from the likes of Alisson, Ederson, Edouard Mendy and Manuel Neuer. He had a memorable outing in the Champions League final where he was in imperious form to deny Liverpool several times from finding the net.

IN TWO PHOTOS:

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DID YOU KNOW? Lev Yachine remains the only goalkeeper to date to win the Ballon d'Or in 1963. He was also named posthumously in the Ballon d'Or Dream Team in 2020.

WHAT NEXT FOR COURTOIS? The shot-stopper missed Real Madrid's date with Barcelona on Sunday with an injury and will be hoping to get back between the sticks when Los Blancos go up against Elche on Wednesday in La Liga.