Casillas: Beating Chelsea makes me happy, not beating Mourinho

The Spain goalkeeper says he doesn’t hold any grudges against the former Real Madrid boss, claiming they shook hands like “gentlemen” on the Champions League night


Iker Casillas claims Porto’s 2-1 triumph over Chelsea didn’t bring him any extra joy because he got one over former coach Jose Mourinho.

The goalkeeper and trainer spent three years together at Real Madrid between 2010 and 2013, during which time their relationship deteriorated massively to the point where the club captain was benched.

Mourinho is believed to have considered Casillas to be the infamous mole who was leaking his team tactics to the media and, after he recovered from a mid-season injury, he allowed Diego Lopez to usurp him in the first XI in 2012-13.

That decision played a part in Mourinho leaving Madrid for a Stamford Bridge return, and it was with Chelsea that the two came up against each other for the first time competitively since he swapped jobs.

Casillas, a summer signing for Porto, came out the winner as goals from Andre Andre and Maicon either side of a Willian free kick gave Julen Lopetegui’s side a valuable Champions League group stage triumph.

The Spain international, 34, insists the three points aren’t made all the sweeter by the Mourinho factor, and he explained how the two buried the hatchet with a handshake at the Estadio do Dragao.

“I’m not happy because I beat Mourinho, I’m happy because I won with the team,” Casillas, who made a record 152nd appearance in the Champions League proper on Tuesday, told reporters.

“I greeted Mourinho. Shaking hands is the gentlemanly thing to go. So much time has passed. If we see each other we greet each other. It’s best not to live in the past, I don’t do that.”

Porto are second in Group G after two games, behind Dynamo Kyiv on goal difference on four points as Chelsea trail one point adrift and Maccabi Tel Aviv prop up the standings on zero.

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