Iker Casillas – Always There For Everyone In Their Hour Of Need, But Some Aren't There For Him....

By Umid.

In the hour of need, he is there. Whether it is by making a jaw-dropping match-winning save or as a shoulder to cry on; he is there.

Iker Leading Real To Their First La Liga Title Since 2008

Always.

Casillas introduced himself to the World like that: those eye-popping saves against Bayer Leverkusen in the 2002 Champions League final and being Spain’s saviour against Ireland in the 2002 World Cup Round Of 16 in the shoot-out – it was the beginning of something great, something epic.

And since then Casillas has saved Spain and Real Madrid many times with his astute goalkeeping.

But it was in Euro 2008 when we saw the true leader in him. Leading Spain to its first ever major championship triumph since the long forgotten 1964 European Championship conquest, Casillas showed to the World a side of his which many didn’t think he had: a leader.

Leading Spain To Glory For AThird Consecutive Time

Often accused of being too quiet and nice to make a good leader, Casillas has proven all of those critics wrong by leading Spain consecutive Euro and a World Cup wins. He also lead Real Madrid to their first ever league title since 2008 – these feats wouldn’t have been possible if Casillas wasn’t a good leader.

It is his personality as a Human, however, that makes him such a lovable person.

On Tuesday when Real Madrid were drawing 2-2 against City with just injury time to go, there was nervousness. Losing 2 points at the Bernabeu is never pleasing – and certainly not at all when Real are in the toughest group in this year’s CL.

Then, suddenly, everything paused. It was as if time stopped itself to witness that moment. That moment was when Cristiano cut inside from the left and shot…. Kompany’s presence blocked Hart’s view and the ball went into the net.

3-2 Real Madrid.

Every Real Madrid fan – every – were celebrating as if they just won the Champions League. Rafael Nadal, who was watching the game from the VIP box, jumped out of his seat in exhilaration. Jose Mourinho sunk his knees into the wet grass and slid on it, so did Cristiano – the scorer, the joybringer.

Extreme Joy For Mou And Cristiano

But there was one-man on the Real Madrid side who didn’t even move. Showed no emotions. Showed no thrill. That man was the captain himself: Iker Casillas.

A lot of things were written about it, a lot of theories, a lot of stories, some even doubting his Madridismo.

Unanimated Iker After Cristiano's Winner

But no-one knew the true reason. All of them were just assuming. And most of the assumptions were, in fact, proven wrong when the real truth behind Casillas not celebrating came out.

Iker didn’t celebrate because just hours before the Real-City game, his 14 year-old Polish friend, Dawid Zapisek, died after suffering from Spinal Muscular Atrophy, and he wanted to show the little kid respect by not celebrating.

Dawid’s ultimate dream was to meet Iker “before dying in peace” and his dream came true when Iker met him in Poland during the European Championship. Iker expressed his sadness via his Facebook page, posting "my most sincere condolences to his family; rest in peace, my friend" on his status.

Dawid With His Idol, Iker

Iker Casillas also articulated his grief on Dawid’s death via Real Madrid’s official website (which you can read here).

Iker didn’t know Dawid for a long time, yet he was touched by his death: this just goes to show what a wonderful Human being Iker is. Casillas didn’t celebrate at that time because he was paying homage to Dawid; whose body was beneath a willow drapery, whose soul was waiting for the boatman to get him across the slarlit waters where dreamscapes are golden.

The boatman has, by now, done that – which boatman wouldn’t do so to a soul who met a saint just before it released itself from the materialistic body?

This is not the first time Iker has shown what an amazing Human being he is. He has made several charities to the people in need, always been humble, always been modest, always been equal to everyone and always been a symbol of Humanity.

And yet, once again, some Real Madrid fans want him to be removed as Real’s captain, instead of being grateful for having a great person like him as captain, because he is too nice and kind – such sad is this World that kindness and being nice isn’t good anymore if you want to lead a team. But, well, Iker will prove them all wrong – just like he has done before.

Iker won't, and shouldn't, change himself just because some Madridistas want him to –  he will stay true to his identity; the identity which made him a symbol of Real Madrid, Spain and Humanity.

Iker Casillas was, perhaps, sent by God on this Earth to be there for everyone in their hour of need.

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Extracts From The Secret Diary Of Nicklas Bendtner….

By Umid Dey.

August 18, 2012.

7 am. I wake up from sleep. The first things I see after opening my eyes everyday are posters of Nicklas Bendtner with a caption of ‘The Best In The World’ all around my room.

I wake up pleased. Everyday.

But today, I was extra-pleased because tonight my Club Arsenal will be playing Real Madrid – one of the best teams in the World – and I am going to be in the starting XI. Only a foolish manager would leave out his best player when his team is playing against the best team in the World.

August 19, 2012.

I was too tired to write about last night’s game last night itself; after all, I scored 5 goals against Real Madrid to help Arsenal win 5-4 after being 4-0 down at half-time. So I was tired; tired of carrying Arsenal on my back – but, they don’t call me The Great Dane for no reason.

I not only scored 5 goals, but I assisted 5 of them as well. I didn’t allow Szczesny to take goal-kicks because, if he did, the assists would have been his. So I took the goal-kicks myself by shooting the ball in the air and then running to reach the place where the ball would land, receive it, dribble past my opponents, and then score.

For my 5th goal, I actually told my team-mates, including Szczesny, to stand in my way while I am dribbling so that I would dribble past all 21 players on the pitch and then score. And that’s exactly what happened: I dribbled past 21 players, then went past the referee, then nutmegged my own self by slowly pushing the ball and quickly standing in front of it to let it roll between my legs and then scoring.

I went past all 22 players on the pitch – including myself – and 23 men to score the greatest goal of all time. Only Nicklas Bendter can go past Nicklas Bendtner with the ball - I am just too awesome.

Once Mourinho said that 5-4 is a “disgraceful” score-line in a 11v11 game and that he sends his players back to the dressing rooms, as they are not defending properly, if the score-line reaches 5-4 in a 3v3 training match. I wonder what he did to his players last night after they conceded 5.

They once conceded 5 against Barcelona, too, but conceding 5 against Barcelona and conceding 5 against a team that has Nicklas Bendtner – the best in the World – in it is 2 very different things.

Barcelona didn’t have me – Nicklas Bendtner – so it’s not understandable to concede 5 against them. After all, who did Barca have in that game? Lionel Messi? Andres Iniesta? David Villa? Meh. These are players who are not even fit to tie the laces of my boots – you get these players in every street of Denmark.

However, last night was different. Real conceded against me. They should, and must, be happy that they were blessed enough to concede 5 against the best in the World. If Mourinho didn’t do anything to his players after they conceded 5 against Barca, then he must have partied last night after conceding 5 against me as he conceded way less than he expected.

Anyways, after the match, Wenger came to me and told that I was excellent and bla bla… the usual stuff to make me feel good. I don’t know what kind of an idiot he is because even after being with me for so many years, he doesn’t realise that I always feel good about myself, regardless of whether I get praised or not.

A reporter came to me and asked me how I felt scoring 5 against a great team like Real. I replied, “It was easy, a piece of cake. Scoring goals have always been as easy as walking in the park for me; whether it is against Real Madrid or any other team.” (I know that this is my diary and thus putting my own words in quotes may have baffled you, but guess what; this is cool – the guys you see doing the same with their tweets on Twitter or comments/statuses on Facebook got that from me. This is called ‘being awesome’.)

I went to the dressing room and got a hero’s welcome. The new guy Cazorla came to me and said that he never had a team-mate who made such good use of his passes. I replied to him, “that’s because you never had Nicklas Bendtner as your team-mate”. (Again, I’m being awesome.)

Now you must be wondering when did Arsenal play against Real Madrid. They played Sunderland on August 18, not Real Madrid, you must be shouting in your head.

Well, that’s in your inferior Universe – the Universe which everyone sees. In your Universe, Arsenal played Sunderland and drew 0-0. But in that superior Universe, Arsenal played Real Madrid and I scored 5.

That superior Universe is located in a blissful place called ‘The Mind Of Nicklas Bendtner’. You have to be Nicklas Bendtner to see what is happening in that Universe and God has made just one Nicklas Bendtner – and that’s me – so only I can see that Universe. No-one else can.

So all of you mere mortals: be pleased by being and seeing this inferior Universe and I, on the other hand, will be owning that superior Universe by my breath-taking, jaw-dropping and eye-popping Football skills – and you won’t be able to see that.

“HAHAHAHAHAHA,” I laugh at you all.

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Note: This is just a satirical article and isn't Nicklas Bendtner's real diary - this is just intended for fun purposes and not to offend Bendtner or anyone mentioned in this article.