CASEMIRO: “Mourinho called me into his office and I immediately got scared, I asked myself, ‘But what did I do? I haven’t done anything...’ and he tells me: Case, I know you very well, I know perfectly how many matches you played at São Paulo and what you won. Do you see this? (there was a board with the lineup for the next match) your name is here, you’ll be a starter. —Me?— Yes, you’ll be a starter, I know you very well, in the match go all in, that’s what the Bernabéu likes, go all in for the first 15 minutes, then show yourself off, hit a 70-meter long ball without fear.”
“I swear I left that room feeling like the best defensive midfielder in the world. I went out on the pitch and did exactly what he asked me, I went all in the first minutes and then hit a long pass to Cristiano. At the end he comes up to me and says: Very good kid, you did what I asked, you’re called up for the next Champions League game.”