maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 17 JULY 2019
21
SPORTS
FOOTBALL
PORTO goalkeeper Iker Casil-
las has been given a role on the
club's coaching staff as he con-
tinues his recovery from a heart
attack suffered two months ago.
The Portuguese side say Casil-
las' role is to "ensure the con-
nection between the players, the
coach and management".
The Spain World Cup winner,
38, suffered "an acute myocar-
dial infarction" during training
in May.
"I will try to do my best to help
my team-mates," Casillas, who
was able to report for pre-sea-
son on 1 July, said.
"The manager talked to me
last season when my situa-
tion happened and he told me
that he wanted me to stay with
them, close to the players, near
the younger players, because
there would be a lot of chang-
es."
Casillas spent five days in
hospital after the heart attack
and said at the time he did "not
know what the future will be".
The goalkeeper, who moved
to Portugal from Real Madrid
in 2015, made 31 league appear-
ances last season as Porto fin-
ished second in the league.
He made 725 appearances for
Real during a 16-year career
at Bernabeu Stadium, helping
them win three Champions
Leagues and five La Liga titles.
He also captained the Spain
team who won the World Cup
in 2010, as well as successive
European Championships, in
2008 and 2012.
Iker Casillas given coaching role at Porto
two months after having heart attack
Iker Casillas has made 156 appearances for Porto since joining from Real Madrid in 2015
