Club Captain Iker Casillas Defends Diego López From Post-Derby Criticism

In a week where Diego López has come under absurd press attention for a perceived mistake in the derby, Iker Casillas spoke at a promotional event for BBVA sponsors. Naturally, the reporters present attempted to get him to say something that would make good copy.

One could argue they succeeded, though not perhaps as they might have hoped.

Casillas brushed off criticism of Diego López for failing to deal with Atlético Madrid's second goal, implying he wasn't interested in the opinions of arm-chair analysts in the media, and expressing, like a disappointed grade-school teacher, surprise they couldn't come up with anything better than "these same old questions", before answering. "You have to analyze that goal. There were many people between him and the ball. As captain I have to ask [the press] for respect for every player...We are league leaders, thanks in no small part to him."

On the question of minutes: "Of course every player wants to play, and that's as it should be. I respect the manager's decisions. If he says to play in the Champions League and the Cup then I am happy to play in those competitions...I will continue to work hard."

One wonders what the press thought a dignified man and a club-captain would say. As a long-term observer of Iker Casillas this was precisely the type of dignified and correct performance we have come to expect from an excellent club captain.