Man Utd new boy Casemiro's secret to avoiding the wrath of referees
FT Desk
- 25 Aug 2022 22:40 BST
- 3 min read
Manchester United star Casemiro's incredible trick for escaping the attention of referees across the world has now been revealed.
The Brazil international is known for his uncompromising playing style and ferocious tackling in the middle of the park, which have made him a hero at Real Madrid.
With five Champions League winners' medals and a total of 18 major titles Casemiro will go down as one of the greats at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, for his unerring passing and penchant for truly spectacular goals as much as the physical side of his play.
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What often catches the eye, though, is how often the Brazilian seems to go unpunished on the field.
In more than 300 appearances for Madrid Casemiro only received two red cards, and it often seems that the midfielder can commit multiple offences before receiving even a booking - as was the case in May's Champions League semi-final against Manchester City, when he escaped punishment for two challenges on Phil Foden and Kevin De Bruyne.
That apparently is no accident, but in fact the result of painstaking preparations that the player carries out in order to get the better of each referee.
Casemiro's referee 'dossier'
According to the Telegraph, Casemiro prepares dossiers on every match official he faces, which includes information on where they are from, their preferred name and how they like to run the match.
The ex-Madrid ace even began to study English just so he could better communicate with referees in European games in a bid to give his team the edge.
“He plays in a role where you talk a lot to the referees and are more likely to receive a card,” former team-mate and close friend Bruno dos Anjos explained to the newspaper.
"So it’s important that they understand what he says and that he’s able to argue with them if necessary as well. It may be helpful in certain situations."
Casemiro has now received his UK work permit and United are hopeful he may make his debut this weekend when the Red Devils visit Southampton.
And as well as his sparkling ability and tireless work ethic in the engine room all eyes will be on the Brazilian's interaction with match official Andy Madley, and whether he succumbs to the player's seemingly irresistible charms.
