Casillas insists he is 'no Galáctico'

Goalkeeper Iker Casillas believes a renewed team spirit at Real Madrid CF has helped the Spanish champions shrug off their 'Galáctico' reputation as they prepare to continue their bid for a tenth European title with a Tuesday trip to AS Roma.

'I'm no Galáctico'
"Before, there was a lot of individual quality but very little collective quality," he told uefa.com. "Perhaps the group wasn't considered as important as it is now. Now, above all, we are a group. No individual accepts praise. We accept it as a team." Casillas himself insists he never ascribed to the myth of the all-star Madrid Galácticos. "I'm no Galáctico, I'm from Mostoles," he joked.

Welcome celebration
Madrid claimed the 2006/07 Primera División title under Fabio Capello with a style anchored in defence and the 26-year-old feels it was one of his crowning achievements. "It was better than winning the European [Champion Clubs'] Cup," Casillas said, adding: "I thought there were many more people celebrating the league title with us last year than when we won the European Cup [in 2001/02]. The fans are used to us winning trophies. But having gone four years without anything, it seemed they had almost forgotten how to celebrate."

Incredible times
No1 in the uefa.com users' Team of 2007, Casillas made his Madrid debut in September 1999 and had just turned 19 when he helped Real defeat Valencia CF in the UEFA Champions League final the following May. Madrid were crowned Spanish champions the next season, then reclaimed European supremacy in 2002. Casillas remembered: "Imagine it, you're at Real Madrid and every year you win a title. You begin to realise that, little by little, you are entering the club's history."

On course
Madrid would dominate the Primera División again in 2003 but success then ran dry. A succession of coaching changes took their toll before Capello put Madrid back on track. "The changes affected the team a lot. There was instability, insecurity, lots of negative influences," said Casillas, one constant during a period of flux. Now, with an five-point lead in the Primera División under Capello's successor Bernd Schuster, Madrid are on course to retain their title.

Roma prospects
There is also a burning desire to make amends for last term's early exit in the UEFA Champions League – they bowed out at the first knockout round against FC Bayern München. This time Roma stand between Madrid and the quarter-finals. "I'm not going to think any further than that because when you do, you get a strong slap in the face," Casillas warned.

This is an edited version of a longer article in the uefa.com magazine. To read the full version click here.

To read the full selection of the uefa.com Team of the Year 2007, click here.