Casillas prefers Real Madrid to build from within

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas wished his club would build from within, but he stopped short of criticizing its recent big spending on the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka.

Casillas joined the club when he was 9, and worked his way up to become a regular first-team starter at 18 in 1999.

"I like for a team to have players who, from a young age, have loved the colors of the club and know the values they have," Casillas said on Friday during a football clinic for hundreds of young players in Venezuela.

He said Madrid's habit of buying star players made it difficult for homegrown talent to break through.

"This always happens to us at Real Madrid," he said. "Always more is demanded from the players brought up in our own youth system than is demanded from players brought in from outside."

Casillas also said he was hopeful that Real Madrid would win back the Spanish title from Barcelona in the coming season.

"After a difficult year with Barcelona, we hope to give Madrid fans a lot of happiness," he said. "Barcelona deserved everything it won. The challenge for us is to forget and win."

Last season, Barcelona became the first Spanish club to win the treble - the league, domestic cup and the Champions League.

Many of Barcelona's top players such as Lionel Messi, Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta were brought up in the club's youth program. Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola is also a product of the Barcelona system.

Madrid, in contrast, has traditionally spent large sums snapping up foreign stars like Ronaldo, Kaka, Roberto Carlos, David Beckham and Luis Figo.

In the offseason, it has spent €214 million ($302 million) on five players.