Iker gave an interview to AS which was published in their Jan. 30 edition, and he was also on the cover. He talks about Filipe Luis, Benzema, Van Nistelrooy…
Q: Is it a relief that Filipe Luis won’t be playing?
A: No, it’s a shame. He’s a kid from our youth team, with a great attitude… I called him to cheer him up, I told him to be strong mentally and to only think about getting better, that he should forget about the World Cup, that he has to be calm and strong.
Q: He was really happy that you called…
A: Was he? I had to do it. He was playing really well and deserved it.
Q: Is Guardiola’s contract renewal bad news?
A: No, it’s something to be happy about. I had him as a teammate and now I admire him as a coach. What he has done is praiseworthy. We like having people like him in football.
Q: What do you think about football returning to Mondays?
A: It’s something new for me. I’ve only seen it on TV and I liked it.
Q: Why hasn’t Benzema become a star yet?
A: Karim has a lot of things that Zidane had. I like the moves he has, he scores a lot in the training sessions. Higuaín is becoming a star now, and he’s only 22. It’s about confidence and tranquility. Karim is a great kid.
Q: Do you regret the departure of Van Nistelrooy?
A: I do, a lot, because he’s the type of player you like having around, he was very well-liked. He was one of those that would be called Sir in England. If we win La Décima, it will be partly his, because he was a part of this team.