The relationship between Casillas and Mourinho during the manager's first spell in the Spanish capital between 2010 and 2013 was famously fractured. One of the defining moments of that tenure came when Mourinho sensationally dropped the club icon in favour of Diego Lopez, a move that split the fan base and marked the beginning of the end for Casillas’ time at the club.
Reflecting on that period, Casillas previously admitted: “It was the most difficult period of my career because I was the captain. I had to talk to him constantly, deal with many issues, and, in the end, something that starts as a beautiful marriage, full of love and affection, turns into a complete divorce as time goes by.”