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The goalkeeper of the Spanish national football team, Iker Casillas, confessed in an interview to journalists that he regained the feeling of happiness in the team: "I cried, I suffered, I slept badly at night. To the depths of my soul, I am a 'madridista' and for me the club is above everything: me, coaches, presidents, or directors," writes marca.com.
"Now I feel happy again. A person is not used to living in a situation they do not know. The last few months were not easy, but finally, breaking the ice, I am a new I.Casillas," said one of the best goalkeepers in the world.
After a five-month break, going out onto the field against the Uruguayan national team in the FIFA Confederations Cup tournament, he felt special. I.Casillas said that after such a long time returning to the goalkeeper's field, he was helped by excellent relationships with his teammates and the support of the team's captain Vicente del Bosque.
"The goalkeeper regains confidence standing at the goal, and every time you get this opportunity, you exploit it and rediscover yourself," said the Spaniard.
"Many people were beside me when I experienced an injury for the first time in my life. I am grateful to them and will never forget it. When a player does not go out on the field, he must understand and accept it, work, respect decisions, and wait," said I.Casillas.
Having trained and played since childhood at the Madrid "Real" football school and club, the goalkeeper had no doubt that he would like to end his career here. On the other hand, the famous goalkeeper understands that it depends not only on his desires but also on the decisions of the coaches: "However, that does not mean that I will seek a way out if the coach decides that there is no place for me in the club. I will repeat: my goal is 'Real.' The club has given me everything – even the opportunity to wear the national team jersey."
The goalkeeper said that the feeling of entering the field for the first time after five months was strange. "The first action when entering the field often determines the remaining part of the match. I felt good, knowing that I would be the focus of many. I just focused on my work, which I wanted to do well and I wanted to help the team win," shared I.Casillas emotionally.
The goalkeeper did not hide that various thoughts were spinning in his head while recovering from the injury. He did not expect himself to "get back on his feet" so quickly and be ready to fight. It only disturbed him that sitting on the bench as a substitute at the "Real" team, he would do the same in the national team. "However, coach V.del Bosque always asked how my hand was healing. Fortunately, everything is fine. I think it's even better now than it was," joked the goalkeeper.
The world champion Spaniard said that the Confederations Cup tournament taking place in Brazil is very important for the team. "If Spain does not make it to the final, critics will start saying that we are no longer what we used to be. And if we win, everything will be as usual. This is the pressure that we have created ourselves in recent years. We know that we must continue to enjoy football.
I think we are a very powerful force. However, I believe that the day will come when it will be very difficult to wake up the illusions of victory for our fans," he admitted.
In addition, I.Casillas pointed out the differences between this year's team and the one that won the World Cup three years ago in South Africa.
"The current team is not the same as the one in South Africa. Yes, we won the title of European champions, but for many, the victory at the World Cup in 2010 was a surprise. Even we ourselves did not believe what happened. Obviously, becoming a world champion changes your role and mentality. This does not mean that we feel superior to others, but we believe that with our game, we can achieve even more. Our current goal is to win all titles with this generation of players," I.Casillas did not hide his ambitions.
