waduuuu, dilemma nh gw...
walawpun lg aga2 bete ama sikapnya Iker yg protektif ma gw, tp mw g mw gw ternyuh jg ma sikap humble-nya... fyi guys, ini bukti klu Iker tuh jelas jauh dr kata takabur... ^^
'Saint' Iker's success story
On a summer's night in Vienna last year, Iker Casillas stood high above his red-shirted team-mates with the Henri Delaunay trophy in his grasp; Spain had just been crowned UEFA EURO 2008™ champions and the Real Madrid CF goalkeeper was enjoying his finest moment on a football field.
Humble mentality
Six months on and Casillas has been voted into the uefa.com users' Team of the Year for 2008, thanks in large part to his fine displays between the posts in Austria and Switzerland last June. It was another sign of appreciation for the man who, at just 27, remains as humble today as he was growing up in the Madrid suburb of Mostoles. "I have to say that winning EURO with the national team was the biggest success I have ever had in my sporting career," he explained. "It represented a new chapter as Spain hadn't won anything for a long time and we were finally able to lift a trophy again. To be honest though, I don't like to be the focal point. Sometimes all the fuss and attention seems a bit excessive to me."
Hard work ethic
The UEFA European Championship winning medal came on the back of Casillas's fourth Liga triumph with Madrid, the club to whom he committed the rest of his career by penning a contract until 2017. There were also nominations for the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player awards along with his inclusion in the FIFpro World XI. "I'm just doing my job, nothing more," the two-time UEFA Champions League winner said. "Every time a goalkeeper stops a shot or makes a good save, it looks like he's a saviour. A goalkeeper has to do his duty and an outfield player has to do the same. You have to work hard, very hard, and you also need a bit of luck. You have to concentrate on yourself, on your game – and then one day it will be recognised – but the less you think about things the better."
Differing emotions
Now a European champion with club and country, Casillas admits that going all the way wearing the colours of Real Madrid and Spain offers up entirely different sensations. "Madrid are a massive club, with a huge reputation all over the world in comparison to the national team," he said. "People from all over the world follow us; it's more universal. But with the national team we have 45 million Spaniards following and supporting us here so it's more important. I had thought that [winning with both Madrid and Spain] would feel the same, that one would feel like the other, but no. One has nothing to do with the other and I don't think that one trophy can replace another one." The feeling may be different but 'Saint' Iker will be hoping to be back on the glory trail once again in this season's UEFA Champions League where Madrid resume their quest for the trophy with a first knockout round tie against Liverpool FC on 25 February and 10 March.
Akan tetapi, Casillas ternyata kurang berkenan. Dia merasa kalau apa yang dia lakukan selama ini semata hanyalah bagian dari tugasnya sebagai seorang kiper dalam sebuah tim sepakbola.
"Aku tak suka jadi bahan perbandingan, 'San (Saint dalam lafal Spanyol) Benito atau 'San Iker' tampaknya terlalu berlebihan buatku, aku percaya semua (pemain) melakukan tugasnya,"
how lovely he is... ^^
Love, A...
