In the summer transfer window of 2022, Brazilian defensive midfielder Casemiro made a surprise move and joined Manchester United from Real Madrid just after winning his fifth Champions League title. The move shocked everyone, as the 31-year-old seemed like an inevitable member of the Los Blancos midfield.
And the transfer was quite successful as well! Casemiro had a stellar first season with the Red Devils. Despite getting knocked out of the Europa League, the club secured a third-place finish, earning a place in the upcoming Champions League, and even won the EFL Cup.
In a recent interview, the Brazilian shed some light on his first season with Manchester United, and his decision to leave the Santiago Bernabeu.
Casemiro reflects on ‘perfect timing’ to leave Real Madrid
In an interview with the Brazilian publication Placar, the midfielder acknowledged that leaving Real Madrid was a difficult decision that he had to make while still at the top of his game.
“It was a chance to leave a big club on top, at an age that still allows me to have that willpower. If it were two or three years from now, I wouldn’t be leaving Real Madrid to go to another big club; I wouldn’t have that ambition to change leagues,” he said.
The Brazilian also credited the warm welcome he received at the club for his quick adaptation, “Everyone at the club has always been very affectionate; I felt loved from day one, which wasn’t easy after spending ten years at Real Madrid. It’s been a very good mix, from the fans, staff, and players, and that’s been very important for my adaptation.”
🚨🚨🎙️| Casemiro: "I was told it was difficult to live in Manchester, but I like it." ❤️ pic.twitter.com/syS3OXgJw3
— centredevils. (@centredevils) July 8, 2023
“I was told Manchester was a difficult city to live in, but I am loving it,” he continued, speaking of life in the English metropolis.
How long was Casemiro’s stint at Madrid?
Casemiro, then just 20 years old, moved to Madrid from Sao Paulo in January 2013 to strengthen Real’s Castilla squad. On April 20th, he made his debut for Real Madrid in a 3-1 victory over Real Betis.
In the 2014-15 season, he was on loan to Porto and returned to Santiago Bernabeu in the summer of 2015. The Brazilian has made 336 appearances for the Whites, scoring 31 goals and winning 18 trophies: 5 European Cups, 3 Club World Cups, 3 UEFA Super Cups, 3 LaLiga titles, 1 Copa del Rey, and 3 Spanish Super Cups.
Casemiro: the wall 🧱@Casemiro || #UCL pic.twitter.com/NQAk0LIqdv
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) January 30, 2023
All in all, he had a stellar career with the Los Blancos. It remains to be seen how well his life at United will be; his first season was quite remarkable nonetheless.
