The parents of Iker Casillas have attacked Florentino Perez for forcing the departing Real Madrid goalkeeper to join “a Segunda B team” in Porto.
The 34-year-old’s transfer to the Portuguese giants was finally confirmed on Saturday, but Jose Luis Casillas and Maria del Carmen Fernandez believe a club of Barcelona’s ilk would have been far more befitting for their son.
“Casillas was treated well by [former Presidents] Lorenzo Sanz and Ramon Calderon, but not Florentino Perez,” they told El Mundo.
“This President has never loved him because he’s short. Iker has endured psychological pressure and been treated differently to other players.
“He’s been vilified for the past five years and it’s all been very unfair.
“It’s largely Florentino Perez’s fault that Iker is leaving Real Madrid. It’s been a very bad time [for him].
“Of course [our] son had other offers, but Florentino didn’t want him to go to a top team like [Alvaro] Morata did. [Florentino] doesn’t want Casillas to succeed.
“This smear campaign orchestrated by Florentino has been supported by several leading journalists and media, both of whom have clubbed him since 2010.
“Florentino may be a great President of ACS [his construction firm], but as President of Real Madrid …
“Porto are a Segunda B team. [Our] son deserves a better team like Barcelona.
“When it emerged that he was looking for a house in Rome, [we] called him and said ‘what are you doing? You’re not going there.’ Imagine [how we felt about] Porto.
“A world champion can’t end his career at Porto. [We] wouldn’t have minded if he ended up at Barcelona because they’re a club of gentlemen.
“[We] just want [our] son to be advised well so he doesn’t end up cleaning toilets like the world champion Andreas Brehme or ruined like [former Barca and Porto goalkeeper] Vitor Baia.”
