REAL MADRID | FLORENTINO

Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez was the special guest on Cadena SER's El Larguero programme last night and among the topics he was asked about was Iker Casillas' departure from Real Madrid.

Casillas wanted to leave Real Madrid, says Florentino

Florentino's first reaction was to speak about the reason why the keeper left: "He left because he wanted to leave and he went where he wanted to be". But the president feels that the fans hold him to blame for Casillas' decision to join Porto: "Whenever a player leaves the club, I am always the one who's to blame", he said.

Full screen Iker Casillas breaks down as he announces his farewell from Real Madrid. DIARIO AS (DIARIO AS)

The Madrid president also admitted that Casillas, the best goalkeeper in Real Madrid's history, probably deserved a better send-off. On 12 July 2015, Casillas cut a lonely figure as he read a statement, unaccompanied by anyone from the club, to announce his departure from Real Madrid in the Bernabéu press room. "He felt that the best way to leave was by reading a goodbye note but it didn't go quite as he planned. So I called him that night so that the following day he could bid the fans farewell with all of the trophies [behind him]".

Casillas will be honoured by Madrid in a tribute match

Florentino added that he has a promise to honour when Casillas finally hangs up his gloves: "We had a tribute match planned, but he said that he would prefer to do it once he retires from football. We have something arranged with Porto, but we understand he has renewed his contract with them for another season".

To end, Florentino confessed that he would like Casillas to follow in the footsteps Roberto Carlos and Raúl and become an ambassador for Real Madrid one day in the future: "An ambassador? I'd be delighted, in the same way as Raúl and other former players have done. Iker is in the heart of all madridistas".