Barcelona’s famed midfielder, Xavi Hernandez has claimed that former Spanish teammate and club rival Iker Casillas was misunderstood by Real Madrid. The 36-year-old, now plying his trade in Qatari club Al Sadd also criticized Real Madrid’s style of play in the recent El Clasico while also revealing that Barcelona’s style cannot change.
The former Barcelona captain was interviewed for BeIN Sports by former Real Madrid player and manager Jorge Valdano. When quizzed about Casillas’ tumultuous last few years at the Santiago Bernabeu, Xavi pulled no punches, saying “Iker Casillas was misunderstood by Real Madrid.”
“Even the call he made for the good of everyone, he was misinterpreted by madridismo [Madrid fans] or rather by ‘mourinhismo’ [referring to Mourinho].”
Xavi was referring to the alienation of Casillas under Mourinho, following a now infamous phone call between Carles Puyol, Casillas and Xavi after a series of rage-filled El Clasicos that threatened to undermine the unity of the Spanish national team.
The Barcelona veteran was also critical of Real Madrid in the manner in which they handled Casillas’ departure from the club with Xavi writing “That’s why it leaves a bad taste what is happening with him now. In recent years, I have seen that he is not enjoying himself like before. He even seems bitter and I think everyone in this country should think about this.”
Xavi critical of Real Madrid’s style of play
Valdano also asked Xavi his thoughts about the most recent El clasico, with Zinedine Zidane’s side coming back from a goal down to win the game 2-1, a result that began a series of poor results for Barcelona.
However, Xavi was critical of Real Madrid’s counter-attacking setup in that game, saying “Real Madrid played like a small team in the Clasico at Camp Nou. A big team like Barcelona should not be playing like Atletico Madrid. Big teams like Barcelona and Madrid should always stick to their own style. You cannot start playing like Atletico.”
The Spanish midfielder also noted that Luis Enrique has his hands tied by a set of fans that expect Barcelona to play attractive football, saying “Barcelona fans would not understand it if they were to change their style of play. They are used to it that Barcelona are in charge and create 15 to 20 chances per game. Barcelona's style is non-negotiable.”
