Iker Casillas admits Real Madrid “hit rock bottom quickly” but is confident his side will improve following their Champions League last-16 triumph over Schalke.
The goalkeeper came under fire from media quarters on Tuesday after he struggled to keep out any of the Royal Blues’ four goals during Los Blancos’ 4-3 second-leg reverse at the Santiago Bernabeu, and he conceded the crticism was nothing less than he deserved.
“It’s true that we’ve hit rock bottom quickly, but the positive is that we’re in next Friday’s draw, so we can forget about the last 10 days,” he told Canal+.
“We must be united and accept the criticism from Madrid fans because we haven’t matched our high standards but are now in the quarter-finals.
“We’re now in a privileged position and thinking about the next game. We can’t look back and remember those 22 [straight] wins or the other things we’ve achieved.
“I think a goalkeeper must always take the blame. It wasn’t one of my best games, but it’s no time to think about myself.
“Despite not having done our homework [on Schalke], we we’re able to progress.
“[Carlo Ancelotti] said [the BBC] were non-negotiable, but also that there were opportunities [for other players] if they did well.
“The sooner we restore our relationship with the fans, the better. We weren’t up to scratch.”
