‘Don’t know if you noticed…’ – YEP journalist saw Casilla do something unusual v Bristol City
Kiko Casilla went out of his way to apologise to the Leeds United fans before the game against Bristol City on Saturday.
A string of blunders from the goalkeeper has led to Leeds dropping points in recent weeks and many fans online were calling for him to be dropped for Saturday.
Marcelo Bielsa kept the faith and was rewarded with a clean sheet – Casilla’s first in 11 games.
The Leeds fans at Elland Road were supportive – as always – and were singing his name before kick-off but it shows how bad things had got that Casilla felt moved to apologise before the game.
It’s unusual but shows that Casilla still cares what the fans think.
Talking on the latest episode of the Inside Elland Road podcast, Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Joe Urqhart said, “To get that clean sheet, that was important for him.
“I don’t know if you noticed but he apologised just before kick-off. The fans started chanting his name and he just put his hands up and put them together and apologised.
“I think it’s important that faith is restored quickly in Kiko regardless of what happens off the pitch in the coming days.”
Bielsa has kept the faith with Casilla but he might well have played his last game for Leeds for a while.
Casilla’s FA hearing for racist abuse start on Tuesday and should conclude today
Casilla is denying the charge and is being supported by Eddie Nketiah and Leeds teammates.
However, if he is found guilty then he will face a minimum six-game ban, and Jonathan Leko has back-up from Charlton striker Macauley Bonne.
Bonne is saying he also heard what Leko is claiming was said and that could prove decisive in a hearing that doesn’t demand the same evidence as a court of law.
We’re hoping it’s a case of something being misheard but either way it will be good to get this case behind Leeds.
It’s been hanging over Leeds and Casilla since September and it’s almost certainly going to have had a negative effect on the player’s performance.
In other Leeds United news, ‘Oh dear god no’ – Some Leed fans react to EFL update for clash v Reading