an Iker interview & Castilla news

Marca interviewed Iker the other day when he went to their offices, and today they published the first part of the interview which focuses on the season and the effects of the clásico, along with a cute cover of Iker clutching all the trophies he’s ever won.  Tomorrow’s segment will have Iker speaking about the future and certain names.

Highlights from the interview, favorite quotes given the blockquote treatment:

What are the best thing and the worst thing from this season?

The best thing is that the team has gained confidence.  We’re a squad with young players and we used this first year to gain confidence.  I believe we should all be happy that we managed to win a title, even though it might be the least flashy one, because of the way we won it, against Barcelona in the final, and eliminating Atleti and Sevilla.

The team has responded well to expectations.  In the Liga, we’re second and in the Champions, Real Madrid has returned to the semifinals, among the top four teams in Europe.  The worst thing has been everything that was said, both good and bad, during the four clásicos.

Do you think there was too much tension?

Yes, because there are more press and media outlets each time.  Imagine how much is said when there are four clásicos in 20 days.  On our part, we’re going to continue looking forward, and begin planning the new season.  We don’t have to reflect any more on this.

Are the pieces to break Barcelona’s hegemony in place?

I believe so.  We want the next season to begin already because we were left with a bad taste in our mouths.

Real Madrid is a world-class brand.  Is it normal that the greatest team in the world talks about things that have nothing to do with football, such as the schedules, the referees…

I believe that when these topics were spoken about, there were solid arguments to back them.  When the míster comes out and says something, it’s because he’s convinced of what he’s going to say and he knows what he wants to say.

This escudo weighs heavily and if in any moment you say something that it not well-received, the entire institution is behind you, it’s not just José Mourinho alone.

Do you feel persecuted by UEFA?

I already said it.  The entire world saw some images and if UEFA says something else, what more can I say?  The bad thing would be if a player says something disrespectful in an upcoming game and is sanctioned.  I’m not asking for anything for my teammate, who is also a friend, but there are images.

Those who defend him and say he didn’t say that (mono), I think they must be blind.

When I make a mistake, I admit it.  During that game against Barcelona, I touched my face with my hand several times and I admit I was wrong to do that.  It was in the heat of the moment because there was a lot at stake.  It’s a Barça-Madrid game, the gateway to a final and in a certain moment you get riled up.  I don’t know if Marcelo said anything to Busquets, but the cameras caught Sergio.  That’s why I say I don’t understand.

Has the unwritten code that what happens on the field stays on the field been broken?

Well, the press is partly to blame for that.  That’s my opinion.  It’s very morboso for the media to have four clásicos in 20 days.  But you all don’t hold all the responsibility.  Personally, I’ve had it up to here with these games.

The first person you hugged in South Africa was Busquets.  Are you surprised that it was him that was involved in this mess?

I get along really well with Busquets.  That’s the truth.  He’s a great kid, excellent, and I can’t say anything bad about him.  But on the field, there are moments when things get to you because a lot is at stake.  He defends Barcelona and I defend Madrid.  In a given moment, he does something that is wrong, and it’s alright.  There’s no need to rehash it.  Making amends is for wise people.

What will it mean for Madrid to be the top scoring team and to have the pichichi?

We’ve talked about it, and we agreed that since we’re not in the race for any titles, it would be nice to score many goals and help Cristiano.  We would like to have a Madrid player as the pichichi and Golden Boot.

According to Marca, the game in Angola, scheduled for May 25, has been canceled.  The Angolan government decided not to go ahead with the game, saying that they don’t have enough time to adequately make all the necessary preparations for the game.  Madrid is considering scheduling another friendly for that day, and are assessing the viability of playing one of those teams that are ascending to the first division, such as Betis or Rayo Vallecano.

The team returns to training tomorrow morning.

Meanwhile, Castilla is already preparing for the playoffs!  They trained in the Bernabéu this morning (it gave MFC goosebumps), the site of their first playoff game on Sunday, in order to get acclimated to the playing surface and the site.

Castilla will also have their first concentración of the season before this game, as they will sleep in a hotel the night before the game.  And here’s what looks to be an excited Mandi in the locker room, tweeted by Denis.

Speaking of Castilla, Madrid’s site has an interview with MSFC Juan Carlos, and while the interview itself is not that interesting, the accompanying pictures are adorable.  Here are my favorites, and you can view the rest here.