Madridthe club Real and its legend Iker Casillas made a very painful decision on Saturday evening - the goalkeeper who became a symbol of the "Whites" is leaving his only club.
The 34-year-old goalkeeper, who spent his entire career at the royal club, does not intend to give up top-level football. On Monday, the Spaniard will arrive in Portugal, where he will sign a contract with Porto.
Rumors that I. Casillas would leave Madrid this summer had been circulating for some time. It was expected that the captain of the "Whites" would play one more season and then head to the USA, but the rumors did not come true.
In an official statement, Real did not spare beautiful words for their legend: "Today is a sad day for the club, which begins with confirming the departure of one of the best goalkeepers in our club's history. Today this team starts a new stage without the best goalkeeper in Real and Spanish football history.
This farewell is a million feelings, full of hopes, dreams, sacrifice, dedication, and victorious memories. Iker helped our club's shield become even greater. He was our captain and legend from the moment he arrived at just nine years old.
The club is 113 years old, and Iker defended us for 25 years. During this time, he managed to become a symbol of the club, earn respect, love, admiration.
Iker's trophy collection is huge. He is a true Real pride. Iker is leaving, but he remains a true example. His behavior in the 725 matches played shows the way for those who dream of becoming a part of this club.
Thank you, Iker. Thank you for becoming the best symbol of this club. Never forget that your heart belonged to Real Madrid."
I. Casillas' tribute ceremony at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium will take place on Sunday at 13:00 Lithuania time.
"White" - since 1990
I. Casillas first joined Real in 1990. He was nine years old, but his talent was noticed from the first days.
In 1998, the Spaniard was still playing in the third-ranked Real team, but in 1999 he debuted in the main team. For the 18-year-old, the "Madridistas" had to play 47 matches in the first season, where the goalkeeper demonstrated a huge potential to one day be the best goalkeeper in the world.
I. Casillas was Madrid's goalkeeper for 16 seasons. During this time, he managed to play 725 matches, but he did not become the player with the most matches played for Real. With 741 matches, Raul remains in first place.
18 titles in the trophy account
In his first season, young Iker managed to win what every player desires - the UEFA Champions League. Later, the Spaniard managed to become a Spanish champion five times with Real, lift the King's Cup twice, and enjoy the country's Super Cup four times.
In total, the goalkeeper celebrated the Champions League trophy three times, triumphed in the UEFA Super Cup in 2002 and 2014, and in December for the first time raised the FIFA Club World Cup. In 2002, the footballer also managed to win the "Intercontinental" trophies.
Candidates for Casillas' place
The main candidate is compatriot David De Gea. Real has been interested in him since the end of last season. However, the Spaniard does not want to easily let go of Manchester United and rejects any offers from the Spanish vice champions for De Gea's acquisition.
There are also rumors in the media that in place of I. Casillas, Florentino Perez wants to see Barcelona's Espanyol and former club alumni Kiko Casilla. It is claimed that the "Whites" have already made an offer, but the Catalan president stated that it was rejected.
The last candidate mentioned is Leverkusen's Bayer goalkeeper Bernd Leno. The 23-year-old German is a promising and sought-after player in his position.
