Outgoing Spain manager Vicente Del Bosque has revealed that Iker Casillas was the only player he did not send a thank you message to after Euro 2016.
The duo won the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012 together, with the trophy-laden Casillas having also played for him as a Champions League-winning goalkeeper earlier in the decade.
But Del Bosque, who will now step down after Spain's Round of 16 exit to Italy, revealed that Casillas did not take his demotion to the bench too well.
The younger David De Gea of Manchester United instead started all four games in France this summer.
"With his team-mates, he was OK, but with the coaching staff, his behaviour wasn’t good. His anger was directed at us. That’s why he’s the only player I didn’t write to," Del Bosque told Cadena SER.
But Del Bosque suggested there was no bad blood with a player whose time at Real did not end entirely amicably thanks to divisions with Jose Mourinho.
"For sure he is hurting or displeased with me and I understand that. He thinks we have done the wrong thing," he continued.
"But we have to be proud of a player who has 167 games with the national team. I don’t believe three or four games will hurt his resume. Casillas hasn’t disappointed me. I have a great appreciation for him. I have known him since he was nine years old."
