Champions League Is Final Chance for Iker Casillas to Shine as De Gea Move Looms

It didn't have to be like this. What has happened to Iker Casillas at Real Madrid was not how you envisioned his career going back in the late noughties.

Between 2007 and 2012, he was included in UEFA's Team of the Year six times, also being picked in the FIFA World XI on five occasions.

He has won everything there is to win: three Champions League trophies, five La Ligas, the Copa del Rey twice.

Casillas and Real Madrid should be a great story, but now there is a divide.

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Per Sport's Alejandro Alcazar, Casillas began to feel alone at Madrid under Jose Mourinho. It is an oft-told story but, for a brief recap, Alcazar wrote:

Jose Mourinho's era at the club became a disaster for him, with Casillas spending time on the bench behind Diego Lopez. Casillas felt alone, as he told Manolo Lama on the programme El Partido de las 12. The club looked the other way and didn't want to know anything about the goalkeeper's situation.

Meanwhile, there were accusations that Casillas was a mole in the dressing room, with the stopper forced to deny the allegations.

Under Carlo Ancelotti, Casillas has regained his first-team place, but there are still huge swathes of the Santiago Bernabeu support that do not want him between the sticks.

As we saw during the 2-2 draw against Valencia, the slightest error, or hint of an error, is enough to draw whistles from his detractors.

The goalkeeper argued back, telling supporters "That's enough, for f--k's sake", per Sport, and Ancelotti thinks that the whistles will not resurface on Wednesday night.

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Madrid take on Juventus in the Champions League semi-final second leg, trailing 2-1 from the first game in Turin.

The Italian coach said in his pre-match press conference: "Tomorrow is different; all the fans know how important this game is. We have had a lot of support from the fans and I think it will be the same. We had it against Atletico and last season against Bayern.

"I know that Casillas has a lot of experience and is used to this."

James Rodriguez, also speaking at the media event at Real Madrid's Valdebebas training ground, backed Casillas.

"When you whistle someone, you’re whistling everyone," he said.

"We have to be united in the face of that and support each other. That starts from the outside, not just us on the inside. We have to be united. And all 80,000 people have to be united with us."

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Ancelotti was also asked about the future of the goalkeeper, who has two years remaining on his contract, but didn't give anything away.

"Everyone has to think about his own decision," said Ancelotti.

"I think Casillas has said lots of times, he wants to stay. He has everyone’s trust, the coach, the team-mates, the club. He is a guarantee for us. Then, everyone takes their own personal decisions."

Casillas must be aware of the club's interest in Manchester United stopper David de Gea.

The 24-year-old Spaniard has been linked with Madrid almost incessantly during the past few months, and he is thought to favour a return to the Spanish capital.

The Daily Mail's chief sports writer, Martin Samuel, wrote of Madrid's interest in Bale:

"

With De Gea’s agent, Jorge Mendes, doing little to cement his client’s future at Old Trafford, Van Gaal is beginning to sound quite negative about the negotiations. It would appear the trump cards are held by another club.

"

De Gea is currently enjoying a couple of days off back in Madrid, after being spotted flying there from Liverpool airport on Monday night.

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His presence in the city doesn't necessarily signify anything, but it is an interesting aside to note that he is here on what is the eve of a huge night for Casillas.

This, the Champions League semi-final, is his last chance to put a positive spin on the end of his career in Madrid.

With the club's interest in De Gea intensifying, it is highly unlikely that he will be first-choice goalkeeper at the Bernabeu next season, if even there at all.

So perhaps the veteran stopper can enjoy one last hurrah at the top level and show De Gea, who may be in attendance at the game, a thing or two.