Iker Casillas asks Real Madrid fans to be patient
Real Madrid captain Iker Casillas has today pleaded with the club’s fans to be patient as manager Jose Mourinho rebuilds the team to once again become a force in Spanish and European football.
Mourinho arrived at the Bernebau this summer after a hugely successful spell at Inter Milan which saw him win the UEFA Champions League for the second time in his career. Now, he faces the task of moulding Madrid into a team which can challenge the dominance of Barcelona in La Liga and bid for glory in Europe’s elite club competition.
However, Casillas, who captained Spain to glory at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, has urged the Madrid fans to give the Portuguese manager time to build the team into a squad that can be a force on a global level.
The keeper told Spanish daily newspaper AS that: "The fans at the Bernabeu are loyal and always demonstrate they are with the team. If anything I have to ask the public for though it's more patience.
'New young team'
“It's a new young team, we will get stronger. What other teams are asked for in two years, Real Madrid are asked for in two months. We need a little more patience."
Casillas added that Madrid are not necessarily looking to compete with their Catalan rivals Barcelona, but that the priority was to build a team that is capable of getting results. He said that: “It would be bad to think that we always have to be above Barcelona and always be in competition with them. Every game we play should be approached as the most important.
“That is our reality. This way, when it comes to evaluating, maybe we're close to getting something very beautiful, but our goal is not to be above Barcelona now but to build a team, a unit, and get results."
Real Madrid currently has a 1-0-1 record in La Liga thus far this season, including a lacklustre 0-0 draw against Mallorca.
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