Casillas: I deserved to go

Iker Casillas has admitted that he deserved to be sent off against Osasuna.

Casillas was dismissed for a second bookable offence after kicking the ball away to prevent Osasuna quickly restarting the game.

The goalkeeper says he acted in the heat of the moment but feels the decision by the referee to give him a second yellow card was warranted.

"The sending off was justified because I was given the second one for wasting time," Casillas said.

"I do not think that I was stupid, because I was defending in the interests of the team.

"It all happened very quickly, I had to clear the ball so that they could not take the throw."

In hindsight, Casillas admits his first yellow card for remonstrating with the referee following a free kick on the edge of his area was a silly one to pick up.

"I regret the first yellow card for protesting," he continued.

"The last time I was sent off was a straight red in the cup.

"I fouled a Tarragona player and was sent off as I was the last man."

Following the intense encounter, which threatened to boil over at times, Casillas blamed the media for heightening tensions before the meeting at the Reyna de Navarra stadium.

"We did not give the game an edge, it was the press with the same old stories like the firecracker with Buyo or Roberto Carlos' tackle on Valdo."