There was a good atmosphere during Real Madrid's final training session before travelling to Elche on Wednesday, where it will play the team from Alicante at the Martínez Valero stadium (10:00 pm, Spanish time). Casillas was seen training normally, whilst Isco, Cristiano & Co. enjoyed themselves with some games to test their coordination which the coaching staff had prepared for them.
Today, three years on from that 19th June 2010, Illara returns to the stadium that first saw him don the Real Sociedad shirt. He never imagined that he'd return with a different shirt, but destiny had a surprise in store for him. Today, he returns to Elche as Real Madrid's most expensive Spanish signing and one of the pillars of the 'Blancos' new project.
Sociedad didn't have the best of days for that last match of the 2009-10 season, but Asier remembers every last detail of that day perfectly.
Although they lost 4-1, promotion had already been assured, so the manager, which was Martín Lasarte at the time, awarded the two stars of the team's youth academy – who normally trained with the first team – with some playing time.
Illara started and played 67 minutes, but wasn't completely happy with his performance. He's so demanding of himself that a debut with a bad result didn't go down well. The loss meant more to him than finally achieving his dream of playing for the first team.
The player from Mutriku was subbed for the day's other debut performer, one of his friends from the b-team, Alex Albistegi, but his career has taken quite a different course from Asier's, which is already becoming quite brilliant.
The Alicante club was crowned last season's Liga Adelante champion and is now competing among the best.
And as a bonus, after five games of playing more or less direct rivals in the battle to avoid relegation, today it faces the giant that is Real Madrid. There is a world of difference between the two clubs, but Elche is convinced that it can pull off a miracle.
On the 19 occasions the two sides have met, Real Madrid has won seven times, Elche six, and the remainder of the games ended in a draw.
Illarra returns to Elche as a star
The last time that Asier Illaramendi set foot in the Martínez Valero, in Elche, he was 20 years old, he still lived at home and he had long hair. He left the stadium with a shirt signed by his teammates and words dedicated to him by Iñigo Sarasola when the game finished. "People should remember this name", the defender said back in the dressing room. He wasn't wrong.
Today, three years on from that 19th June 2010, Illara returns to the stadium that first saw him don the Real Sociedad shirt. He never imagined that he'd return with a different shirt, but destiny had a surprise in store for him. Today, he returns to Elche as Real Madrid's most expensive Spanish signing and one of the pillars of the 'Blancos' new project.
Sociedad didn't have the best of days for that last match of the 2009-10 season, but Asier remembers every last detail of that day perfectly.
Although they lost 4-1, promotion had already been assured, so the manager, which was Martín Lasarte at the time, awarded the two stars of the team's youth academy – who normally trained with the first team – with some playing time.
Illara started and played 67 minutes, but wasn't completely happy with his performance. He's so demanding of himself that a debut with a bad result didn't go down well. The loss meant more to him than finally achieving his dream of playing for the first team.
The player from Mutriku was subbed for the day's other debut performer, one of his friends from the b-team, Alex Albistegi, but his career has taken quite a different course from Asier's, which is already becoming quite brilliant.
Pressure is the name of Elche's game
An unassuming Elche, newly promoted to la Liga BBVA, will undoubtedly be another team looking to play its socks off against Real Madrid. It will attempt to pile on the pressure right from the off - its best weapon to take Carlo Ancelotti's team by surprise.
This tie is a big event for Elche, with no less than 24 years having gone by since the last top division Elche-Real Madrid. Playing for Elche then were César Quesada, the club's current doctor, Cartagena, Cepeda, Bracum, Robi, Claudio ... and for 'Los Blancos', Schuster, Augustín, Camacho and Tendillo.
The club has spent many campaigns dreaming of a game like tonight's. It has overcome numerous difficulties. Its demise has been a spectre that has repeatedly haunted the team.
This tie is a big event for Elche, with no less than 24 years having gone by since the last top division Elche-Real Madrid. Playing for Elche then were César Quesada, the club's current doctor, Cartagena, Cepeda, Bracum, Robi, Claudio ... and for 'Los Blancos', Schuster, Augustín, Camacho and Tendillo.
The club has spent many campaigns dreaming of a game like tonight's. It has overcome numerous difficulties. Its demise has been a spectre that has repeatedly haunted the team.
The Alicante club was crowned last season's Liga Adelante champion and is now competing among the best.
And as a bonus, after five games of playing more or less direct rivals in the battle to avoid relegation, today it faces the giant that is Real Madrid. There is a world of difference between the two clubs, but Elche is convinced that it can pull off a miracle.
On the 19 occasions the two sides have met, Real Madrid has won seven times, Elche six, and the remainder of the games ended in a draw.
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