Casemiro explains key to Real Madrid success with Luka Modric anecdote

Manchester United midfielder Casemiro was brought to the club in a €71m move from Real Madrid, in theory to instill a winning culture and add a degree of experience to a dressing room that had lost its way. Things have not quite gone to plan at Old Trafford, with the Brazilian unable to replicate his form at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Casemiro has searched for answers himself as to why, beyond just his personal form, but what allows Real Madrid to pull through in moments of difficulty, and maintain such high standards.

“When you are inside and then leave the club, as has happened to me, you look for the most complete response to what you have experienced. The big key is that Madrid prepares the players. Madrid always has a spine that is the values ​​that they instill in you. When I arrived there was already Cristiano, Sergio Ramos, Casillas… Players who had a club identity. Then they moved on to Casemiro, Modric, Toni… And then Vini, Fede Valverde, Rodrygo arrived… The backbone and values ​​of the club are made,” he told Diario AS.

“The president himself transmits those values ​​to you. When you arrive at Madrid you see it and you soak up them. You know who to follow. It took Vinicius five years to establish himself as the great player he is. But Real Madrid knew how to prepare him and now he is a world top player.”

Los Blancos have put together two unrivalled runs of European success in the 1960s and over the last decade in the Champions League. A large part of that has been their now trademarked comebacks, more often than not at the Santiago Bernabeu. The 32-year-old says the attitude goes beyond just the atmosphere at the Bernabeu though.

“It’s everything, not just the stadium. Also the city. When you enter Madrid you already know that you are going to land in the best team in the world. And when you put on the shirt for the first time you already know that you belong there. You believe it because you see your dream fulfilled. The Bernabeu fans are the most demanding in the world. You are leading and you are winning the game… and they ask you to keep going forward and look for more, not to look back.”

“The key to everything is that Madrid is made to win. I don’t care how it is. 1-0 or 5-0. Madrid is about winning. Win, next match. Win and go for another victory again. You don’t talk about the previous one. They get you used to winning. Madrid is made for that. The main and most demanding value of this club is summed up in one word: winning.”

The prime example of which was summed up by Luka Modric after winning the European Cup.

“I’m going to tell you something that until today I had not explained in any interview. We were in the dressing room after the Champions League in Milan against Atleti, which we won on penalties. We were celebrating the eleventh and Luka Modric approaches us and tells us without changing tone and with his very peculiar Spanish: “Friends, we have to win two more Champions Leagues now.” We told him, “Come on Luka, we’ve had two almost in a row since Lisbon.” He replied: “No, no. With this great team we have, we have to take advantage of it and make history by winning two more in a row, at least.”

“And we won the 12th in Cardiff and the 13th in Kiev. Followed. Luka knew it. In Madrid you win the Champions League and the next day they tell you: “Let’s see next year.” You only win the League and well, nothing special and they will tell you that the European Cup was missing. You win the Cup alone and they will tell you that the season was a disaster. That is Madrid, maximum demand.”

Of course the contrast to that is when things go wrong, the reaction is that much stronger.

“Well yes. If Madrid loses a game, even if it comes from ten wins in a row, it is called a crisis. That is the key to Madrid’s eternal success.”

Manager Carlo Ancelotti has spoken similarly of the attitude at the club, noting that after their most recent Champions League triumph, President Florentino Perez was already speaking to him about the next one. Casemiro also had some words of advice for Vinicius during the same interview, feeling his international teammate needed to focus more.