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George Bennett

Kiko Casilla's nightmare La Liga return continues after Leeds United exit

Kiko Casilla won 10 major trophies during his previous stay in the Spanish capital, but his latest spell in Madrid has been far from a success.

It must be said that Casilla was mainly a back-up during his three-and-a-half years at Real Madrid but he starred 43 times in total for the European juggernauts.

That's why his move to Championship side Leeds United was viewed as somewhat of a coup in January 2019. And Casilla immediately assumed the number one slot between the sticks following his arrival at Elland Road.

However, amid a number of high-profile errors, Casilla received an eight-match ban after being found guilty of racially abusing Charlton Athletic forward Jonathan Leko in February 2020.

READ MORE: Micah Richards says Leeds United had been 'predictable' until Southampton win

His absence presented Illan Meslier with an opportunity to stake a claim for a starting place and the young French goalkeeper did so by registering eight clean sheets in 11 games. Leeds lifted the Championship title to end their 16-year absence from the Premier League and Meslier remained the Whites' number one in the top flight.

Casilla was reduced to just four appearances during the 2020-21 season and returned to Spain by joining Elche on loan at the start of the following season. He made 16 appearances for Elche and left Leeds on a permanent basis for Getafe back in the summer. Casilla made 61 appearances during his stint at Elland Road, but has been unable to gain regular game time at Getafe.

Instead, the former Spain international has been unable to oust first-choice goalkeeper David Soria from between the sticks. Soria has been a shining light during a difficult season for Getafe, which has seen them plummet into 19th place in La Liga.

However, Soria made an 87th-minute penalty save to thwart Raul de Tomas and earn Getafe a crucial 1-1 draw against Rayo Vallecano last week.

The ex-Sevilla goalkeeper has stopped 11 penalties in all competitions since the beginning of the 2017-18 season, while Casilla's only two appearances have come in the Copa del Rey this term. His future at Getafe also looks unlikely with his one-year deal set to expire at the end of the season.

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