Iker Casillas deserves to be remembered for his contributions at Real Madrid

Iker Casillas has finally been forced out of the club where he spent 25 years

From Saint to outcast – Iker Casillas’ Real Madrid journey goes into hibernation. The term used here is ‘hibernation’ instead of ‘end’ and it is out of respect for the legendary goalkeeper who believes that he will once again be back at the club, but probably not as a player.

He believed in many more things too. He believed that Real Madrid was his home and that he would continue playing at the Bernabeu till he was 40 years old. He believed that the fans adored him. He believed that he had the backing of the board.

He believed. In the past tense. Not anymore.

The world can be cruel. More often than not, it is. As Casillas makes his way to Porto, one can sense the hostility in the move. Will it be? Will it not? Finally, it did – leaving some happy faces among a vast majority of sad ones.

Were Casillas’ days at Real Madrid truly numbered?

To many, Iker Casillas is still the saint that saved Real Madrid on many occasions – like the triple saves towards the dead end of the game against Bayer Leverkusen in the 2002 Champions League final. To others, the ardent Jose Mourinho fans, he is the mole that was eating the club inside out.

When Mourinho dropped Casillas on the bench for Antonio Adan, it was a true display of where the power lay during the Portuguese manager’s era. Real Madrid is not any other club, the player power here is more than any other – and it is not entirely a bad thing. At least their trophy count suggests so.

So when the self-proclaimed Special One saw his superiority come into question, he instantly responded by showing that not even a legend like Casillas is immovable. Many will argue that the Spaniard was dropped due to poor form. It was a factor, albeit not the defining one.

Mourinho was completely convinced that the icon was leaking inside information to the press. Although this is just hearsay, Mourinho’s belief became a gospel among many – and it was that set of Real Madrid fans that played a huge role in converting a home to an alien place.

Since then, the road has gone downhill for the Spain captain and it took a further hit when he got injured.

Iker Casillas can’t hold back tears as he bids farewell to Real Madrid

There is no denying that he isn’t the same goalkeeper from three years ago, but he isn’t as bad many claim to be. He never was. Not enough to be jeered by the same fans who once chanted his name.

One can never really know what went wrong; perhaps because they found it easier to believe someone who had been at the club for just three years than their very own – who spent over two decades wearing the crest of Real Madrid.

That’s the nature of people – ungratefulness is weaved within us. Years worth of great memories, of match-winning saves, all flushed down the drain because of an unproven accusation.

Real Madrid have a history of not treating legends with respect

If history is any source of reference, then it is clear that Real Madrid – Florentino Perez, more specifically – doesn’t appreciate the club legends like they deserve to be. Fernando Hierro, Raul and Iker Casillas – all of them left under his administration and without the sending off they warranted.

As much the fans would hate to admit it, Perez’s Real Madrid doesn’t deserve loyal players. All the construction magnate cares about is players with a huge commercial potential behind their names. Every signing he has made in his tenure works as a testament to that fact.

Only one academy player began and rose to stardom under Perez’s gaze – and now that player has been pushed out of the club.

“Iker, eternal thanks for everything” – Though Casillas has been booed by certain fans, he has never been short of support during his career

There will be arguments and counter-arguments. The fanbase will always be divided in this matter. However, what one can never deny is the fact that Iker Casillas was, is and will perhaps remain the greatest goalkeeper this club has ever had. And it was a privilege for both sides that they had each other for a long amount of time.

25 years now seems like the blink of an eye. It was sad that it all had to end this way. That Casillas, who was once thought of as never dislikable, left the club as its most hated captain. He had always hoped that people would remember him as a good person instead of the kind of goalkeeper that he was, but it seems like his hope won’t be fulfilled.

But here is hoping that he is remembered for all those times he brought joy and relief to the hearts of Madridistas than the mistakes that he made.

This quote from The Dark Knight suddenly seems appropriate:

“Don't talk like one of them. You're not! Even if you'd like to be. To them, you're just a freak, like me! They need you right now, but when they don't, they'll cast you out, like a leper!

“You see, their morals, their code, it's a bad joke. Dropped at the first sign of trouble. They're only as good as the world allows them to be. I'll show you. When the chips are down, these... these civilized people, they'll eat each other.

“See, I'm not a monster. I'm just ahead of the curve.” – The Joker to Batman.