Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas has said the team’s elimination from the Champions League at the semi-final stage this season was a bitter pill to swallow but the players must work harder to win the trophy next year.
In an interview published on UEFA.com, the 32-year-old stopper admitted the players had disappointed on all fronts in the 2012/13 season and wanted to make amends for it.
Los Blancos lost 4-1 in the first leg of the semi-final against Borussia Dortmund, with striker Robert Lewandowsky scoring all four. Madrid won the second leg 2-0 to restore some pride but it was a case of too little, too late.
Casillas said: “We have to continue working hard so we can take that extra step and make the final.”
He added that the squad was motivated to make the fans proud. “On the street people always ask you about it. In fact they demand more and empower you to give your best in this competition and to become kings of Europe again,” he stated.
