Casemiro eager for more 'incredible' Madrid success
Monday, May 1, 2017
Article summary
Casemiro was a squad player when Real Madrid were crowned in 2014 and then tasted glory outright last year – now Atlético Madrid stand between the Brazilian and another final.
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Real Madrid's Brazilian international Casemiro discusses his early days in European football with Real Madrid and Porto, the art of the modern midfielder and this week's UEFA Champions League semi-final against Atlético.
Casemiro on ... playing for Real Madrid Castilla
From the moment I left São Paulo and Brazil, I was fixed on staying here, playing for the first team and succeeding at Real Madrid. That was always my dream. But it was an advantage to be able to join Castilla first. When a player joins Real Madrid's first team, they're often under pressure to be an instant success. By joining Castilla, I had the chance to understand the club and get to know the players, the culture, the country and the language.
... his season at Porto
I'd already won the competition before I left Madrid for Porto – I actually played in the Champions League in the Décima-winning [2013/14] season, though I didn't have as big a role as I'd have liked. Anyway I then was at Porto during Julen Lopetegui's time and I learnt a lot. He's a great coach and it was a great apprenticeship. Porto have a very good culture. But my ambition was always Real Madrid.
... the role of the midfielder
Nowadays midfielders definitely have to be complete players – you can't just be a destroyer, you have to build play too. Of course I enjoy it when the fans applaud me for winning the ball. They show me a lot of love. However, you also have to be able to deliver good passes and get into shooting positions. The midfield is the heartbeat of a football team, it's the centre of the action, so you can't just do one thing. If you have a good midfield, you have a good team.
...2016 final glory against Atlético and facing them again
It was the most important trophy in my career, because I felt I played my part in us winning – and winning the Champions League with Real Madrid is incredible. As for the upcoming semi-final against Atlético Madrid, every game is a different story. We know how strong they are and they deserve credit for making it this far. It will be a very difficult tie, because they play good football and have quality players. They've been virtual ever-present in the semi-finals – reaching three in four years. And they have a great manager who reads the game really well.
... the importance of the Bernabéu crowd on Tuesday
The home factor will be massive for us in the first leg and it's vital we get a good result. When you see the fans supporting you even more passionately, arriving early to cheer you on the bus, it definitely gives you an extra boost. So I'd urge the fans to keep it up, because it's really important for us. Champions League semi-finals are always great spectacles and this one is going to be brilliant to watch. However, we'll show the opposition respect at all times, because we can't afford not to at this stage of the Champions League.
... the pressure of chasing a Liga/UEFA Champions League double
Real Madrid are used to it and we players are too. That's one of the core qualities at Real Madrid – you've got to be able to win all the time. We know how important both competitions are, especially the Champions League since it's such a special competition, but we want to win the Spanish league too. We take it game by game – concentrate on our league games, win them and then start thinking about the Champions League.
