Another day and another controversy about Jose Mourinho. Today he met with the press ahead of Madrid’s match with Malaga on Wednesday.
That Mourinho dropped Madrid legend Iker Casillas has not sat well with the fans, media and some players and Mourinho addressed that today.
On Casillas, Mou Said:
“I’ve got no problem with him. It’s just that I like Diego López more and I have every right to hold that opinion just as Iker has to say he prefers Pellegrini to me as a coach. I prefer Diego López and while I am Real Madrid coach, he will always be the team’s goalkeeper”.
Asked a follow-up question on Casillas, Mourinho expanded his thoughts on Saint Iker:
“For one last time, and I hope that you finally understand: I am a football coach and I am hired to pick the team. I don’t just toss a coin and say to myself, ‘Right, Coentrao will play today and Marcelo can play next time’. My decisions are based on many hours of studying and analyzing my players. For me, I prefer iego López as a goalkeeper to Iker Casillas – he is better at handling crosses, he is good blocking with both feet, he dominates the area better… Iker has made some incredible saves but I like other keepers more. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and Iker is within his rights to say he prefers Del Bosque or Pellegrini as coaches. And I am entitled to say that I prefer Diego López.”
And when you look at the data, Mourinho does have a point in picking Lopez over Casillas. He is playing better. This data from whoscored.com last week illustrates that:
Mourinho also made an interesting comment in the press conference that he will back at Real Madrid next season unless he is fired at the end of the season. His insistence than Lopez is his goalkeeper for the future assures that will happen as Real Madrid don’t want to go through this again when Iker Casillas is on the bench next season, especially heading into a World Cup.
