Xavi, who ended his lifelong association with Barcelona this summer to move to Qatari side Al Sadd, said his former Spain teammate deserved a better treatment after sealing a move to Porto at the weekend.
Casillas, 34, enjoyed a hugely successful career with Real but had faced criticism in recent seasons over his form, while a section of the club's fans turned on him after he fell out with former coach Jose Mourinho, with the goalkeeper being whistled on several occasions at the Bernabeu.
The three-time Champions League winner, who also helped Spain to success at the 2010 World Cup and two European Championships, made a tearful farewell at the Bernabeu on Sunday and his parents later said he was "pushed out" of the club.
Xavi left Barca on a positive note, having helped the club to success in La Liga, the Copa del Rey and Champions League last season, but he said he was "the exception" to the rule in the country.
In a column for La Vanguardia, Xavi said Casillas -- his friend since the Under-17 World Cup in Egypt in 1997 -- remained a good person and deserved better.
"That's why it leaves a bad taste what is happening with him now," Xavi wrote. "In recent years, I have seen that he is not enjoying himself like before.
"He even seems bitter and I think everyone in this country [Spain] should think about this. It cannot be that maturing Spanish athletes are not shown sufficient respect, that people neglect to value everything they have done for their sport and instead focus on their defects, sometimes with malicious intent.
"It is also happening with [tennis player] Rafa Nadal, the best Spanish sportsman of all time."
He drew comparisons with Italy international Gianluigi Buffon, who he said still appeared to be enjoying his life as a goalkeeper at the age of 37.
"I look at Iker and I have the feeling that lately he is playing under pressure, as if he has to prove what a great keeper he is in every match, without the joy he always had," he continued. "Now he is going to Porto and I am sure he will be welcomed as a hero. Away from here they will appreciate him more."
No comments:
Post a Comment