Long-time Spain goalkeeper and captain Iker Casillas was not happy about being benched in favor of the younger David De Gea at Euro 2016. So unhappy, in fact, that he wasn’t very nice to his coaches, including manager Vicente Del Bosque, with whom he also worked at Real Madrid for four years. As a result, the outgoing Del Bosque says he has written thank you letters to all his players — except Casillas — in what has to be the most passive aggressive football feud of all time.

From the Guardian:

“With his team-mates, he was OK, but with the coaching staff, his behaviour wasn’t good. His anger was directed at us,” Del Bosque said. “That’s why he’s the only player I didn’t write to.” […]

“For sure he is hurting or displeased with me and I understand that. He thinks we have done the wrong thing,” he said.

“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.”

Casillas was in goal for Spain’s disastrous group-stage elimination at the 2014 World Cup and is coming off an error-strewn season with Porto that couldn’t be compared to the one De Gea had with Manchester United. Still, he helped Del Bosque win a European Championship and a World Cup, so not getting a letter from the manager as he steps down after eight years in charge of Spain probably made Casillas cry.

https://www.gettyimages.com/

Even Jose Mourinho would say this was harsh from Del Bosque.