Iker Casillas insists he is staying at Porto as the Spain captain considers the squad for Euro 2016. ‘It’s Vicente del Bosque’s decision…’
Saul Niguez and Isco were on Tuesday culled from the 25-man preliminary squad and Casillas, in a question and answer session on his personal Facebook page, offered his thoughts on his teammates for the tournament.
“I’m sorry for my colleagues who aren’t here. I understand it must be a difficult situation for the Coach to choose 23 representing Spanish football and the whole country but I’m sure the 23 chosen will go in the best predisposition and will do their best. You have to understand that and it’s a decision for Vicente,” the skipper wrote, AS reports.
“It’s a long process. The confidence is with these players and in that sense you have to respect the decision. You have to go all out with the 23 who are here and we have to be together to return the European Championships again.
“It won’t be easy, since it’s moved from 16 teams to 24, so there is another round before the quarter-finals. We’ll see what happens.”
Casillas was also asked about his rivals for the gloves, starting with the squad’s third-choice goalkeeper, Sevilla’s Sergio Rico.
“Sergio is a young goalkeeper with a great future. He’s showing that now with Sevilla. He’s consolidating with the national team and that’s good for everyone,” Casillas noted.
“I hope we will have good goalkeepers, young and with a great future and that they get more experience to keep playing in the Primera, or outside, as in the case of David [De Gea]. It’s good the Coach has the opportunity to call any goalkeeper, not just Sergio, but many much, such as Pau [Lopez], [Sergio] Asenjo, [Antonio] Adan and people from other teams.”
Casillas has also been linked with a move away from Porto despite only joining a year ago but says that’s not the case, even as Jose Peseiro leaves as Coach.
“I’m not going anywhere. I’m still in Portugal with Porto. I’m looking forward to winning the title as that was my idea when I signed with this team,” he acknowledged.
“I’ve seen the club has decided that Peseiro won’t continue. I want to thank him for the six months I’ve been with him. I met him in my previous time at Real Madrid and as a person, he’s a 10.”
