Casemiro talks Real Madrid exit, Ancelotti, Ronaldo, Messi, Mbappe, Champions League | OneFootball

Casemiro will go down as an absolute legend at Real Madrid for everything he achieved during his tenure at the club.

Having formed an iconic midfield trident with Luka Modric and Toni Kroos, the Brazilian enforcer played an integral role in the success that Los Blancos achieved for a good part of the last decade.

Casemiro on Real Madrid exit

However, Casemiro decided to leave Real Madrid for Manchester United during the summer of 2022, a decision that made manager Carlo Ancelotti very emotional as per a recent revelation from the midfielder.

“Only once did I have doubts about coming to United. All that was left was to sign. And I go to talk to Ancelotti and when I go into his office he is crying. He told me that he loved me very much and not to leave…but I had already given my word to United,” he revealed.

Explaining his decision to leave Real Madrid for Manchester United, Casemiro remarked: “I wanted new things, a new challenge. I had already won everything. It wasn’t easy because people didn’t let me leave so easily.

“But it was clear to me. United have been very good to me from day one”.

On when he made the decision to leave, Casemiro added: “It was after winning the Champions League. I was at a very good age and had the energy to keep learning.”

On the Champions League

Casemiro then discussed Real Madrid’s UEFA Champions League penalty shootout win against Manchester City in the quarterfinals this week, claiming that as a Madridista, he suffered during the game.

“I suffered as a Madridista. Of course, Madrid went through but I suffered for Madrid. I already knew, City have very good players and an incredible coach, who knows what he’s playing. Madrid defended, defended and defended. I’m very happy for my former teammates,” he said.

Real Madrid beat Man City in the UCL quarterfinals this week. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

In his opinion, it is “difficult to explain” Real Madrid’s “eternal” love affair with their favourite competition, the Champions League.

“It’s a team that transforms itself in the Champions League. It has that star quality. The ball from Haaland that hits the crossbar and goes out… it’s something incredible, this team in the Champions League,” Casemiro remarked.

“The DNA is to win. If you only win the league, why haven’t you won the Champions League? That’s how it is. The demand doesn’t exhaust you, you enjoy it. You always have to push hard. That’s what it is to play for Madrid, that pressure every day,” he said.

Praise for Cristiano, Messi, and Mbappe

During the interview, Casemiro was also full of praise for his former Real Madrid teammate Cristiano Ronaldo as well as his rival Lionel Messi, as he said:

“We have enjoyed and we don’t realise, what Messi did, what Cristiano did. We don’t value much what Cristiano did in football and what he is doing, last year he scored 50 goals. What are you going to say about a player like that?”

With Real Madrid looking primed to sign Kylian Mbappe as a free agent in the summer, Casemiro also had words of praise for the Frenchman, even drawing comparison between him and Ronaldo.

“Mbappe is one of the best at the moment, if not the best. He’s very quick, intelligent… He has a stride, he’s a bug. He reminds me a lot of Cristiano. He’s on the pitch, but he’s in danger of scoring,” Casemiro said.

“Cristiano was like that, he’s smelling the goal. You have to be worried because he’s going to score. Those are star players and Mbappé has that. Against Barça the other day he didn’t have a good game, he finishes and goes off with two goals. You can smell it on the pitch,” he concluded.

Source: Mundo Deportivo