Atletico hope to avoid Chelsea so Courtois can play in semifinals
MADRID (AP) Atletico Madrid is hoping to avoid Chelsea in Friday's Champions League draw so that on-loan goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois can play in the semifinals.
Courtois is in his third season on-loan from Chelsea to the Spanish league leader and Atletico president Enrique Cerezo says it would have to pay a hefty fee to field the Belgium goalkeeper against the club that owns his registration.
Spanish reports put the figure at a minimum of 6 million euros ($8.3 million).
''It's a number we can't afford to pay,'' Cerezo said after Atletico beat Barcelona 1-0 for a 2-1 aggregate victory in the quarterfinals.
Courtois was allowed to play when Atletico beat Chelsea 3-0 in the European Super Cup in 2012.
Defending champion Bayern Munich and crosstown rival Real Madrid are the semifinalists.
