Iker Casillas

[PearLBLacK]

Today marks 13 years since Casillas' debut.

It has been 13 years since Iker Casillas made his debut in an official Real Madrid match. The White's captain has picked up many memories and titles during his time at the top, but the Real Madrid keeper is looking to the future and only thinks about ending his sporting career in the team that saw him develop as a fooballer: “It would be a dream come true to end my career in the club. I had the privilege of starting out in when I was only nine. Time goes quickly, but I'm really pleased with all the things that Real Madrid has given me and all that I've given the club. Now you realise that 13 years have gone by and you hope that there'll be many more. My contract is until I'm 36 and my dream is to retire when I'm 39”.

It's 13 years to the day since your first official match with Real Madrid. I imagine that you must have a lot of memories that spring to mind.

"It was a special day because it was my debut in San Mamés and in Real Madrid on an official level. I'm happy because I never thought that I would be here so long, even though it was my dream. The years go by quickly, but I'm really pleased with all the things that Real Madrid has given me and all that I've given the club."

What's your favourite memory from all this time at the top?

"Without a doubt, the first European Cup I won. It was really special and unique for me because in ten months I went from playing in Real Madrid C, in the Third Division, to playing a Champions League final. It's the title I'm most fond of. I have other great memories too, such as those of my second European Cup and the various Ligas that we've won."

With performances like those you became known as the saint. Now with 13 years behind you and the captain's armband, you're both saint and symbol of the club.

"Out of all my teammates here I'm the most veteran player in terms of seasons with the club. I don't know about being the saint and symbol, but what is true is that being the most veteran player I have a big responsibility in terms of the others. I always planned to progress little by little and I remember teammates from back then such as Hierro and Sanchís who told me that at 18 or 19 I had a huge career ahead of me. Now you realise that 13 years have gone by, which is a lot of memories, and you hope that there'll be many more."

You're wearing the training shirt with Higuaín's number 20 and I imagine that you'd like to spend at least 20 more years in the club. What goals have you set yourself for the future?

"I'd love that to be the case and to spend 20 more years with the club. ‘El Pipa’ gave me the shirt for this interview and it would be a dream come true and a real joy to end my career in the club I had the privilege of starting out in when I was only nine. My contract is until I'm 36 and my dream is to retire when I'm 39. I'm also aware that it's more and more difficult, they demand more from you. You always have to set the bar higher and now people don't allow you to lower your standards. It's an added responsibility for me."

 

[Raed]

Casillas wearing Higuain's shirt? Higuain gave it to him?

 

[Deco 20]

Casillas wearing Higuain's shirt? Higuain gave it to him?

yes, as he'll be leaving soon

 

[El Gato]

Win.

TBF 8-9 years is a pretty good preparation time for leaving.

 

[Corb]

Journalists say he can't stand Ronaldo. Yesterday he did not celebrate Ronaldo's goal:

 

[Beast]

Poor photoshop

 

[BarcaOG]

looks real to me

 

[Flavia]

Not photoshop:

 

[El Gato]

I'd be pissed off too if I fucked up so many times over the span of 4 weeks and singlehandedly nearly lost a game to Man City. So I doubt his lack of enthusiasm has anything to do with the fact that Ronaldo scored.

Also, reportedly he didn't celebrate at all, because a Polish kid with a degenerative disease who he has met during Euros to fulfill his wish of meeting his idol has died. It's on his FB account.

http://www.abc.es/20120919/deportes-futbol/abci-muere-incondicional-iker-casillas-201209182010.html

 

[BarcaOG]

i find it hard to believe that in the middle of such a titanic match, with minutes left and real looking for the win, thoughts of the polish kid, sad as his story may be, were the highest priority in hid mind.

he hates ronaldo

 

[FCBarca]

You'd have to be properly delusional to buy that spin on Casillas

 

[El Gato]

i find it hard to believe that in the middle of such a titanic match, with minutes left and real looking for the win, thoughts of the polish kid, sad as his story may be, were the highest priority in hid mind.

Wouldn't be surprised if he thought of it the whole match and would be one of the people Mou was referring to as "not having their minds set right" after Sevilla game, given the ridiculous amount of blunders he makes lately. And that kid is actually a sad story, Iker got to know about his death just before the game started. Dismissing it only on the basis of some imaginary problem with Ronaldo? Gotta be a hater to think that way.

Spoiler: the proof of hate, 13.09.12

 

[Colin]

http://www.marca.com/2012/09/19/futbol/equipos/real_madrid/1348073992.html
"Casillas no celebró los goles para homenajear a un niño polaco"

Roughly translated:

Casillas wasn't in the best mental state before the Man City match. A few hours before the match, he found out about the death of a Polish boy, Dawid Zapisek, whom he had a chance to get to know during the Euro.

On his 14th birthday, he had his dream of seeing Iker in person come true. Suffering from spinal muscular atrophy, he lived in a room filled with pictures of Casillas, always on top of his wheel chair.

As he said, it was the final thing that he wanted to do "before dying in peace." The goalkeeper expressed his sadness on facebook: "'My most sincere condolences to the family. Rest in peace, friend."

This was why Iker didn't celebrate any of the three goals with which Madrid beat City.

Very sad stuff . Moments like this can really put things in perspective. I'm sure the Madrid drama was seeming very insignificant to him at this time so I really doubt that had anything to do with it.

 

[mitkoa7x]

Wouldn't be surprised if he thought of it the whole match and would be one of the people Mou was referring to as "not having their minds set right" after Sevilla game, given the ridiculous amount of blunders he makes lately. And that kid is actually a sad story, Iker got to know about his death just before the game started. Dismissing it only on the basis of some imaginary problem with Ronaldo? Gotta be a hater to think that way.

Spoiler: the proof of hate, 13.09.12

Fake smiles obviously, Benzema didnt even bother

 

[FCBarca]

It's the world we live in, pliable minds are easily swayed with spin rather than deducing things that are plainly obvious