Iker Casillas ready to be part of the Spain squad as a substitute
Vicente Del Bosque, the widely respected manager of the Spanish national team has revealed that Casillas definitely wants to be a part of the national team but as a substitute. The Spanish tactician described this as a gesture of an athlete who has won everything.
"Iker is a unique player, who has been in the national side for many years and is living history of the sport. He gives a perfect example of what it is to be a Spanish footballer at this time, always conducting himself well and he represents the success of these years.”
This comes at a delicate moment for the goalkeeper, who received harsh criticism from the Portuguese press because of his mistake in the last Primeira Liga match against Vitoria Guimaraes, which facilitated the opponent's victory 1-0.
However, Casillas who moved to Porto from Real Madrid in the summer has received the backing of his president Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa. The president of the Dragons recalled the "value" of Casillas for the team noting that Casillas is the only one in the Porto squad who has won both the World Cup and the European Championships.
The former Real Madrid goal keeper will look to bring his wealth of knowledge and act as a mentor to the new look Spanish team.
Del Bosque confirms plans to step down after Euros
Spanish national team coach, Vicente del Bosque, has admitted that he plans to step down after Euro 2016 and will not accept the offer of the Spanish federation to renew his contract stating that it will be better for everyone if he doesn’t continue.
However, in an interview for Spanish TV channel Antena 3, the celebrated coach did leave the door open a little saying that there was plenty time to make the final decision but that it had been an intense eight years with lots of responsibility.
Del Bosque who has created history with the national team is targeting further glory this summer. "It would be the third time that we'd have won the European Championship in a row, and nobody has done this. It will be difficult but we are confident as we’ll go with a strong team.”
In the interview Del Bosque also shared his feelings as a manager on the bench when the matches don’t go as planned. "When a game goes wrong, I feel an uncontrollable heat in my body. I can’t control the nerves and the excitement." The calm and affable manager will be hoping for one last hurrah in what looks like to be his swansong tournament.