Casillas calls Ronaldo his frenemy

Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas has revealed that he regularly argues with team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo.

In an interview with ESPN, the goalkeeper said of Ronaldo: "He's a friend and a team-mate. A team-mate and a friend. But he's also an enemy, because we argue a lot."

However, Casillas did have nothing but praise for Ronaldo's 40 league goals for Madrid last season, claiming that he would pick the Portuguese ahead of five-time Pichichi winner Hugo Sanchez in a Real Madrid fantasy side.

"I never played with Hugo and I did not see him play much," he said.

"I will stick with what I know and that's Cristiano. It's not by chance that he scored 40 in a season. And he has done it before so he must be good."

Ronaldo scored an incredible 53 goals in all competitions last season but it only resulted in Madrid lifting the Copa del Rey trophy. Instead, bitter rivals Barcelona took home La Liga as well the UEFA Champions League crown but Casillas believes Madrid are taking important steps under new manager Jose Mourinho.

"He [Mourinho] has formed a competitive team with aggressive character and he has made us more mature," Casillas said.

"We are a young team and our first tooth came out with the Copa del Rey. But we are not satisfied and we have to be more ambitious."

Madrid beat Barca 1-0 to win the Copa del Rey.

Casillas realistic on Aguero switch

Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas has admitted it would be difficult for the club to sign Atletico Madrid star Sergio Aguero.

Casillas was full of praise for the Argentinean but conceded the fierce cross town rivalry between the two clubs would make a switch unlikely despite the rumours in the press reporting otherwise.

"I do not think it would be comfortable or easy to make a move in the Spanish capital and go from Atletico Madrid to Real Madrid," Casillas was quoted in the Spanish press as saying.

"Right now, Aguero is one of the three or four players who are a little bit higher in the world of football.

"He is very young, determined and talented. He is being followed by many great teams."

Meanwhile, Real's attempt to re-purchase Sevilla forward Alvaro Negredo has also been squashed by club president Jose Maria del Nido.

This is Iker's thread. If you want to make posts about his brother, please start a thread for him. ***Edited by MauiKane

from Iker's FBK :

"Disfrutando de un día de playa en Trancoso,un pueblecito de Brasil,con mucho encanto. Os mandamos un abrazo desde aqui."

“Disfrutando de un día de playa en Trancoso,un pueblecito de Brasil,con mucho encanto. Os mandamos un abrazo desde aqui.” = “Enjoying a day at the beach at Trancoso, a small village in Brazil with a lot of charm. We send you a hug from here."

HQ

Casillas: Spain didn't learn from Barcelona

Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas insists Spain's playing style was not inspired by the current great Barcelona side.

Many people have attributed the national team's success to the system used at Barca by coach Pep Guardiola, which has seen the Catalan club win a plethora of trophies in the last three seasons including three La Liga titles and two Champions League crowns.

Seven Barcelona players started for Spain in the World Cup final win over Holland and all of the goals in South Africa were scored by members of Guardiola's squad - even though striker David Villa had yet to feature for the Catalans, having signed just before the tournament for Valencia.

Casillas, though, says Spain's style dates back to before the 2008 European Championship win, and claims Madrid were the dominant force back then.

"Anyone who has followed the national team a little will remember where our style of play comes from," he told Chilean newspaper El Mercurio in an interview.

"It doesn't come from 2010 or 2009, but from 2007 and 2008, and at that time Barcelona weren't the club dominating or creating hegemony in Spanish football; it was Real Madrid."

And Casillas remembers that only three Barcelona players featured in the Euro 2008 final against Germany.

"If we start to remember a little bit further back in time, only [Andres] Iniesta, Xavi and [Carles] Puyol were Barcelona players in the final of the European Championships against Germany," he said.

"That Spain is associated with Barcelona's play is a good thing because the team has achieved great success, but the national team is not just about Barcelona's success; it's about the success of the rest, too."