Casemiro He has given an interview to The Guardian in which he talks about his vision of football, the demarcation he occupies and how his relationship with Zinedine Zidane is.
Zidane
“Even today I get a little nervous talking to him. I tell him he doesn't know what it means to us, to me. You beat us in '98 (he refers to the World Cup final where France beat Brazil 3-0 with two goals from Zizou), but that doesn't change anything. Knowing him now, I can say that he deserves it. It's incredible: humility, as football expresses it. He treats us with great affection (…) Zizou is very insistent. He always, always says: ‘Case, you can do more: come from the second row, supply the midfielders, get the ball clean’. This year I may have had more prominence with the ball, but I have my job in mind: to take the ball and give it to my teammates. But Zizou is heavy: he always talks to me and wants more. He says, 'I'm not asking you to do something you can't; I'm asking you for something you can do. ' Trust me a lot. ”In mind, City.—“ Since the League ended. It will be a very, very difficult game, but we are going with hope. This shirt forces you to win every game, even the friendlies. “
Study the rivals
“I love to learn. I look back, I see the errors, I evaluate. People say that I think like a coach. I always try to read the game, the mind of the other team, their coach, what they are trying to do. Often the little details, sometimes a meter, change everything. I have Wyscout (a very popular professional scouting platform in the soccer world) and I see everything from China to anywhere. It irritates my wife. There is time for everything, but it is my job. And I love it. My life is football. I have to constantly think about football ”.
Your position
“Makelele is one of those who invented my position. He, Mauro Silva, Dunga, Gilberto Silva … I see videos of them, of how they developed the position. Zidane is a specialist: he knows the importance of each player. But Makelele would not have been so important without Zidane. Or me without Kroos, Modric, Valverde or Isco ”.
Way of playing
“I like to think that the head is the boss, not the legs. You have to be strong, aggressive: I like duels, contact. But you play with your head. I've always thought that the key is to think: to be better positioned, to see the movement before it happens ”.
Your values
“There are moments, it is my personality. I am very, very, very calm. Although my style of play is aggressive. They are my mother's values: be polite, treat everyone the same. People may think that I don't say much, but I do speak to young players. It is often better to speak alone, and make eye contact, than in front of a group. They understand it better and that's what matters ”.
Solidarity side
“People who suffer, sick, hungry, without clothes, cannot be seen. The way is to increase awareness. All I am is for my mother and for football. I was lucky to find a way thanks to football: friends were not that lucky. Knowing how difficult it was is why I do everything from the heart, 200% ”.