Casillas: ‘Buffon deserves CL’

By Football Italia staff

Iker Casillas says “if the opponent wasn’t Real Madrid, I’d want Gigi Buffon to win the Champions League”.

The Juventus captain has yet to lift the trophy, having been beaten in the final in both 2003 and 2015.

The two goalkeepers are good friends, and Casillas admits that the 39-year-old deserves to lift the trophy in Cardiff, but he will be supporting his former teammates.

“If the opponent wasn’t Madrid, I’d want him to win the Champions League with all my heart,” the Blancos legend told Gazzetta dello Sport.

“He deserves it. It’s obvious that I’m a Madrid fan, but Gigi’s journey shouldn’t end without the Champions League.

“He’s won almost everything, but this is a trophy he’s missing and it weighs heavily on him.

“He’s had a great season, he’s back in the final and for we ‘old people’ - I’m thinking of myself, Petr Cech… - it’s a good thing.

“It shows that at 39 you can still feel good and be competitive.

“He started at 17 when I was 14. It was amazing for me to think that a boy just older than me was already at that level with Parma.

“It was a pattern, I admired him, I followed in his footsteps and I envied him. That was for a little bit, because when I started playing regularly for Madrid in 2001 he moved to Juve.

“Then we continued on together.

“The Ballon d’Or? Maybe a goalkeeper could win it, but I think it’s very complicated.

“There were times where one of us could fight for the trophy, I’m thinking of [Peter] Schmeichel in 1999 when he won the Treble, or [Oliver] Kahn in 2002.

“I’ve never really been in the fight, we [goalkeepers] are marginalised. Only [Lev] Yashin won it in 1963 and it reminds me of landing on the moon: it’s been so long that we don’t even remember it.”

Casillas also gave his thoughts on the match in general, and believes Los Merengues’ winning record in finals could be important.

“It’s a balanced match. Juventus have always been strong at the back, but now that’s true up-front as well.

“With [Gonzalo] Higuain, [Mario] Mandzukic and [Paulo] Dybala they have a dangerous attack.

“Madrid are also strong up front, with a sensational [Cristiano] Ronaldo as always, but defensively I don’t think they’re impeccable. Let’s say I see Juve as being more compact. It’s 50-50.

“Does it matter than Juventus have lost six finals? Yes, certain things weigh on the minds of the players. Madrid have won the last five finals they’ve played, which no-one has ever done.

“It can have an influence, yes.

“Higuain? I’m very pleased about his success, he deserves it. Here he was often treated unfairly, crushed under the weight of comparisons which didn’t make sense.

“In Italy he’s proved his worth: I know people criticise him for fitness issues, but in Napoli before and at Juve this year he’s done great things, the numbers are there for all to see.

“If Juve are in the final then it’s also down to him, he enhances the respect and fear in the rivals. And he was important against Monaco.”

The 36-year-old was then asked about his own future, and whether he could make the move to Serie A. “I’m on standby,” Casillas explained.

“I have a clause which allows me to stay at Porto for another year, but I’m reflecting. We’ll decide together.

“Other options? Juve! Seriously though, they should take [Milan’s Gianluigi] Donnarumma. Leave him on loan for a year or two until Gigi retires and then bring him to Turin.

“If I were to bet on a young goalkeeper it would be him. There’s no-one else in Europe, there isn’t another 18-year-old with so many qualities.

“Obviously he still has to mature for a year or two, but his qualities are obvious.

“And me? As far as I’m concerned, Serie A is a good option. There are big teams, the football is important and I like the country.

“Now I’m in Portuguese exile, but yes I’d like to come to Italy. Then it would be beautiful to play against Gigi again, wonderful.

“We first met in the Champions League semi-finals in 2003. It was 2-1 for us at the Bernabeu, then we lost 3-1 in Turin and Gigi saved Luis Figo’s penalty.”

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