Kevin de Bruyne's ex-girlfriend Caroline Lijnen has confirmed that she had an affair with Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois after she was cheated on herself.

De Bruyne, who left Chelsea for Wolfsburg this year following two seasons at Stamford Bridge, revealed in his book Keep It Simple that his then-girlfriend was intimate with Courtois.

Following the rumours last year, Lijnen has now opted to tell her side of the story after De Bruyne's parents initially threatened to take legal action against her if she revealed that the midfielder had cheated.

"In the summer of 2012, Kevin told me that he had an affair with my old best friend," Lijnen told Story Magazine. "I gave him the choice - her or me. I was ready to give him another chance, but our relationship was never the same afterwards."

Lijnen has claimed that she met Courtois during a trip to Spain where he was playing for Atletico Madrid during a loan stint from Chelsea.

"That evening, Thibaut offered me what I had not received during a three-year relationship with Kevin," added Lijnen. "With Thibaut, I could talk about anything and everything and he had even prepared me a delicious meal. Kevin never did it for me. Kevin had deceived me and I thought 'why shouldn't I do that too?'"

Both players are said to have resolved their differences following the scandal.