MADRID: “C’est fini (it’s all over” .
With those few words in French a tearful Iker Casillas brought to an end his farewell statement yesterday to the Real Madrid fans he has served as first-team goalkeeper and captain for 16 seasons.
Dressed in a dark blue shirt and sitting alone in front of the assembled media at the Bernabeu Stadium press room, the 34-year-old, who is leaving for Portuguese side Porto, choked up several times as he thanked Real for “giving me everything”.
“This club also moulded me as a person and helped me to grow,” said Casillas, who joined the Real academy at the age of nine and debuted for the first team at 18.
“Beyond remembering me as a good goalkeeper or a bad goalkeeper I just hope that people remember me for being a good person,” he added.
Casillas was speaking after Spanish daily newspaper El Mundo published an interview with his parents yesterday in which they said their son had been “forced out” of the club by President Florentino Perez.
Casillas had been the victim of an orchestrated campaign of “vilification” in recent years which eventually prompted his decision to quit, they added.
Real did not immediately respond to a request for comment and Casillas did not take questions after making his statement, in which he did not mention Perez by name.
The impression remains that the Spain captain is leaving under a cloud after he was whistled by some fans at the Bernabeu last season, when the club failed to win major silverware.
It was telling that no Real officials appeared with him yesterday, in huge contrast to his close friend and former Spain team-mate Xavi Hernandez.
Xavi, 35, left Barcelona for Qatari side Al Sadd at the end of last season and was given a series of rousing send-offs by fans, officials and team-mates at the Nou Camp.
Casillas said he was excited about joining Porto, who are coached by Spanish ex-keeper Julen Lopetegui, and that he would fight hard to win as many trophies as possible.
His decision to leave Real is widely believed to have been prompted by the expected arrival of Manchester United’s David De Gea, the 24-year-old former Atletico Madrid man who is also being groomed to take over as Spain keeper.
Regular playing time in Portugal for Porto should allow Casillas to extend his international career at least until next year’s European Championship in France.
Casillas said Porto’s “hunger” persuaded him to end his 25-year love affair with Real
“The decision to leave for Porto is due to two fundamental reasons.
“The first is the hunger displayed by the President (Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa), the sporting director Antero (Henrique) and the manager Julen Lopetegui, and above all the rest of the team.
“The second is the many signs of affection I’ve received as people have learnt that my future is in Portugal.
“They’ve won me over, and I’m very happy, very content.”
He added: “I will do everything possible to not let them down, and I will fight to my maximum to win the greatest number of titles possible with my new team.”
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