Kiko Casilla appeared in front of the press to announce his departure from Espanyol to join Real Madrid. The Bernabéu club will pay €6m and the player will sign a five-year deal.
Goodbye: “It is a difficult day for me. I hope that the fans will understand.”
Returning to Madrid: “I did not expect it, but I grew up there. These things rarely happen and you have to take advantage of it. I only saw myself at Madrid today. I do not think about these things until everything is done.”
Real Madrid: "I am very happy and I want to enjoy.”
Casillas: “I wish him the best. He has been a legend and the best goalkeeper in history, but for me it is an opportunity and I want to take advantage of it. They always look at me with a magnifying glass. It’s not the same as before, but I am used to the pressure.”
Competition: “It’s good and helps you to improve. I go with the excitement of a small child. I was there at the age of 14 and now I return.”
Could have signed last year: “I do not know what happened, but until the thing is interesting I do not want to know anything. This past week has been difficult.”
Offer: “I valued it and it went well, for me and for the club, because I always said that if I was going to go I wanted to leave money [here]. During the week I have been restless.”
Espanyol: “They gave me the opportunity to be a professional and to be important. I carry them deep inside. These fans are very different. The club is big, but at the same time familiar. I hope to return and to have the doors open.”