Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti and goalkeeper Iker Casillas have reached an agreement for the team’s captain to get more minutes of play by the end of the season, Spanish daily ABC reports.
Casillas is eager to play more games, after having only featured in the Champions League, in order to arrive in perfect fitness to Brazil 2014 World Cup. ABC claims the Italian coach might have agreed to give him the starting spot back in order to prevent the keeper from leaving in the winter transfer market.
Ancelotti also understands Casillas can’t spend a whole month sitting on the bench, something that could happen if Los Blancos don’t reach the finals of the Champions League or the Copa del Rey.
ABC points out the Italian has a lot of respect for Casillas and his professional career, and that has convinced him to have this courteous gesture.
Reports have told Vicente del Bosque is prepared to leave Casillas on the bench as well if he doesn’t get to Brazil in top shape.
Diego Lopez has been Los Merengues’ starting goalkeeper so far in La Liga. If Casillas was to play only the Champions League and Copa matches, he would end the season having made only 22 appearances, what would put Del Bosque in a difficult situation to name Spain’s starting goalie.
A similar situation took place two years ago, when Raul Albiol was rewarded by Jose Mourinho starting the last two games of the season and he was finally picked for the Spanish squad that went on to win the 2012 Eurocup. The defender had only featured in 17 games that season.
