Casillas celebrates 100 games with FC Porto
Despite losing his regular first-team place in domestic league games, Iker Casillas is the key goalkeeper for "Os Dragãoes" in cup competition and featured in the mid-week 1-0 win over Sporting in the first leg of the semi-final of the Portuguese cup. This was Casillas' 100th game in a Porto shirt and his 48th clean sheet. In that century of games the men in blue and white secured 65 wins and just 16 defeats which is a more than respectable overall balance. A regular league place for Casillas now seems to be a lost battle with the starting place being occupied by José Sá for Liga Nos fixtures and there were even rumours recently that due to his high pay-packet, the Portuguese side were anxious to offload the former Real Madrid stopper in the recent transfer window.
Casillas-Mourinho tension
I imagine we'd all like to see Casillas have a dignified end to his career, certainly after the way his exit from Real Madrid was badly managed. Mourinho frowned upon Casillas and Xavi's work in brokering a positive relationship between Madrid and Barça players representing the Spanish national side with this ideology conflicting with his view that there should always be tension between both clubs. The good relationships which developed with "La Roja" angered the Portuguese manager who even tainted Casillas with claims of leaking information and subsequently began to leave him on the bench and when he did get to play, the Real Madrid ultras (who were loyal to Mou) began to whistle Casillas at every home game.
Glory days
He left the Bernabeu after 725 games for the club plus an additional 167 for the Spanish national side. Add this to his 100 with Porto and we're not far from the 1000 game mark. Will he reach this milestone with FC Porto? Unlikely given the current circumstances at the club, but at the age of 37 he still has a great deal to offer as a keeper, he still possesses super quick reflexes but age, for so many linked with the game does play a major role in peoples perception. Wherever he does end up the memories from the glory days at the Santiago Bernabeu will always be there for us to remember.