Iker Casillas has criticised FIFA for Friday’s World Cup group stage draw, admitting that he doesn’t agree with how it was done.
Spain were drawn alongside Chile, Australia and 2010 finalists Holland, and the goalkeeper has conceded that despite disagreeing with the process, La Roja must play the hand they have been dealt.
“I agree the draw is sometimes hard to understand, especially the coefficients, but never mind, we are in that group, we don’t choose, all we can do is turn up and play and hope to win and congratulate the winner,” he told a Press conference.
“But it’s true that I don’t agree with how the draw has been done. In any case, we aren’t the ones that take these decisions, but we are not qualified to say which team is better than others.
“It’s a very difficult draw. We start with the World Cup runners up, who have had a superb qualifying campaign, and then it’s Chile, and in the last three years we’ve struggled to beat them.
“We lost the first game in South Africa to Switzerland but then we went on to beat important teams like Germany and Italy.
“So we have to start the tournament as well as possible, get the three points and then see what happens. I understand that people will think Spain are the favourites because of everything we’ve achieved in the last few years.
“But we also know that although people are praising us, they will be very keen to take us on and beat us. We know we cannot get complacent at any moment.”
Casillas was then asked if Spain can win the tournament for a second time.
“We have been thinking about it. We know that it’ll be very difficult because everyone wants to be champions, not just Spain, but after the last four years we know that every team will give 100 per cent against us and will want to beat us.
“But we go there with the aim of defending the title which we won in South Africa and try to make the people of Spain proud again. We can promise that we will make a huge effort, we will be up for it and we are full of hope that we can do it.”
The Real Madrid man concluded by responding to questions that this may be his last World Cup.
“It’s December, we’ll see what happens before June and when the squad is named. If you are in that 23-man squad, then you enjoy it and train with your teammates as if it were the last big tournament you’re going to play in.
“It’s true that goalkeepers have more longevity, but sometimes your mental state is more of a factor than your physical state."
Click here to see the full World Cup 2014 group stage and fixtures.
