Real Madrid Skipper Iker Casillas announced that he has left the club as he joined Porto leaving his country Spain.
The 34-year-old announced at 10.21pm on Saturday night it was finally official: Real Madrid’s captain was leaving the club and Spain’s captain was leaving the country, destination Porto.
It was five years almost to the minute since his save helped win the World Cup in Johannesburg, 17 since he was pulled out of a technical drawing class to travel to Norway in the Champions League, and 25 since he joined Madrid, aged nine. Now, aged 34, he had gone.
Casillas has played 725 games for Madrid and has won every trophy there is: winner of three European Cups and five league titles, as well as two European Championships and the World Cup with Spain.
“Since yesterday I am no longer a Real Madrid player and I will now go to FC Porto. My decision to go to FC Porto was based on two factors — the enthusiasm that their club president, coach — who I know well — and the staff have transmitted to me.
“Secondly, the affection that I have received when people found out that my destination would be Portugal.
“I will do all I can not to let them down and I will try to win as many titles as possible with them. Thank you, FC Porto, for trusting me.”
“After 25 years defending the emblem of the biggest club in the world, this is one of the hardest days of my life,” he said. “It feels like it was only yesterday when at the age of nine I wore for the first time Real’s jersey and my dream came true.”
