Top Moments in the Legendary Career of Iker Casillas at Real Madrid

Iker Casillas seeks new challenge as he accepted the contract offer from FC Porto and leaves Real Madrid after 25 years.

Iker Casillas has joined Real Madrid at the age of 9 and has spent his entire life at the Royal Club.

• Iker became important player at a young age
• The name of Casillas emerged with Real Madrid thorughout the years
• The captain did not get the farewell he deserved

However, everything comes to end at some point, and this point has arrived this summer for the legendary goalkeeper. Team captain for Real Madrid and Spain has announced, fighting with his tears, that he will leave the club of his dreams in order to join Julen Lopetegui’s side, FC Porto.

The beginning of a great career

online gambling sites in Spain regarded Iker Casillas as one of the most talented goalkeepers in the world, yet no one would have ever predicted the fascinating career he had. Upon joining Real Madrid as only a 9-year old kid, the keeper moved up on the ladders and played in all youth teams of Los Blancos.

At the age of only 16, he was called away from school because Jupp Heynckes invited him into the squad for a Champions League game against Rosenborg. 2 years later, on the 12th of September in 1999, he debuted in the Liga BBVA as the youngest Real Madrid goalkeeper ever in a thrilling clash against Athletic Bilbao.

He won his first trophy in 1998, although he did not play

Iker Casillas has won his very first title with the club of his dreams in 1998. It was the Intercontinental Cup (the ancestor of Fifa Club World Cup) in Tokyo, Japan. Real Madrid won the right to participate thanks to triumphing the Champions League, and even though Casillas was named as a squad-member, he was not even on the bench in the tournament.

His first real title, when he even helped his teams, arrived in 2000. He was the starting goalkeeper by then as he proved his incredible talent in many games. He was the youngest goalkeeper to start in a Champions League final, which they won easily by 3-0 against domestic-rival Valencia. This was Real Madrid’s 8th, and Iker Casillas’ first Champions League trophy.

The first troubling era in his career

The talented goalie was proving incredible skills, thanks to which he saved his team many times with unbelievable reflex movements in final moments. He was awarded the Bravo prize, which is given to the best goalkeeper under 21 years old by the Italian Guerin Sportivo magazine. In addition, he won his first La Liga with his club in 2001. Everything seemed perfect.

Then the season 2001/2002 started and the waves started to pile up above his head. Spanish gambling news reported that he got out of form while the reserve keeper, Cesar Sanchez was playing in good form. Vicente Del Bosque dropped the home-grown talent and it was doubtful whether he will be able come back to his best form again in the future.

Casillas proved his skills to everyone in 2002

He was benched and did not play too much in the entire season, however, how the story ends is how Hollywood movies look like. Or maybe a little bit even more interesting, as real life creates the most beautiful stories. Because as the story goes, Casillas lost trust and place in the starting 11, and Cesar Sanchez was number 1 keeper.

However, the experienced Spaniard injured in the Champions League final against Bayer Leverkusen in 2002 and here came the opportunity for Iker Casillas to show his worth. He came in as a substitute in the 68th minute, when Real Madrid was leading by 2-1. Leverkusen was pushing hard and created many chances but the young goalkeeper saved his team on several occasions, due to which he gained back trust and was number 1 for a very long time.

The disgraceful end of a beautiful era

Iker Casillas has once again get left out of the starting 11 and become number 2 goalkeeper for the side after his injury in the Mourinho era. Online betting news report that San Iker had to fight with Diego López for his place and has become target for many rumours with ugly intentions behind them.

Even the Bernabéu stadium has divided into two sections: Those who supported the keeper, and those who were against him with all their hearts. The latter group even whistled and booed at every touch of their own team’s captain, which has – obviously – annoyed Casillas at one point. Now he is leaving for Porto, without having a proper ceremony to say goodbye to his caring fans.

How the good goalkeeper grew to become a good man

Mobile betting sites report that the legacy of Iker Casillas will live for a long time in the heart of madridistas, but not only because he was one of the finest goalkeepers in the history of football, but because he was an amazing person. As he said earlier several times and highlighted in his farewell speech as well, he does not want to be remembered as a good goalie, but as a good person, even with his defects.

And he did a lot in order to reach that! He was the man, who called Xavi and made peace with Barcelona’s captain after the relationship between the two clubs went wrong and the encounters turned into fights instead of football games. He was also the man, who said that he is not a Galactico, he is just a simple man from Móstoles. And he really is, a simple, sincere and honest person, who happened to become a hero and a role model for millions of passionate supporters.