In 1997, Real Madrid needed to travel to Norway in order to play a UEFA Champions League match against Rosenborg. Of course, there is online sports betting from 1xBet, where all Real Madrid matches can also be wagered today.
The Spanish team wanted to take 3 goalkeepers to Norway. However, there was a problem: Bodo Illgner, who was one of the goalies of the senior squad, was injured. With the 1st team having only 2 goalkeepers at their disposal, it was necessary to take a 3rd keeper from somewhere.
Fabio Capello, who was Real Madrid’s manager at the time, had 3 options:
- choose a goalie from Real Madrid B;
- take a goalie from Real Madrid Castilla;
- or choose someone from the academy.
The 1xBet platform offers online sports betting from everything that is related to Real Madrid too.
A schoolboy comes to the rescue
Real Madrid B and Real Madrid Castilla are the 2nd and 3rd squads of that team respectively. They compete in their own tournaments, and as a result, it is not so easy for the manager of the senior squad to just come and take players. The on line sports betting with 1xbet.com.gh/line also covers football matches from youth squads too.
As a result, taking someone from the B team or Castilla was definitely not possible. For this reason, the Italian manager went for the 3rd option, taking a keeper from the academy. An official from Real Madrid made a phone call to a school in the Spanish capital. He asked the secretary whether it was possible to talk with a student called Iker Casillas. You might have heard about that name. Make now online sports betting with the 1xBet platform, where it is also possible to wager on the best goalkeepers in the world.
A professor goes to Casillas’ classroom and asks to talk to him in private. The teacher tells him that they just got a phone call from Real Madrid. They asked whether it was possible for the 17-year old to go home immediately and prepare his bags for a trip to Norway. Casillas couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
Meeting the best of the best
Casillas was immediately taken to Madrid’s airport, where the kid met some big names like Raúl, Fernando Hierro or Santiago Cañizares. The best players from the Spanish La Liga can be wagered at 1xbet.com.gh/line/football today as well.
Of course, Casillas traveled as the 3rd keeper of that group, and he didn’t play the match that saw the Spanish team losing 2-0. However, the young Casillas had a glimpse of what he would see in the next few years. In 1998, the legendary goalie was promoted to Real Madrid Castilla. Only after a few months, he moved to the B team.
In 1999 he was promoted to the senior Real Madrid team, which can be wagered at 1xBet too. The rest, as they say, is history.
Disclaimer:
Bet responsibly. 18+ Gambling is Addictive. This advertisement has been approved and vetted by the Gaming Commission
