Zinedine Zidane has been an excellent servant to Real Madrid both as a player and a manager. He won the Champions League by a stunning volley in the final as a player and later on guided the team to 3 consecutive Champions League final as a manager.
Zidane had a very good relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo during their Champions League winning days. Ronaldo has failed with Juventus in each season since moving in 2018. After getting knocked out by Porto this season, there have been talks of Ronaldo returning to Real Madrid.
The Real Madrid manager commented on the rumours: “Well, you know what Cristiano [Ronaldo] means to Madrid, what he has done, the affection we all have for him and what he has done here is magnificent.”
“But now he is a Juventus player and he is doing very well there. I can’t tell you anything, many things are said but you have to respect these things.”
Another important thing on hand for Real Madrid is the contract extension of their captain. Ramos’ contract ends this summer but there is a positive feeling between both the player and the club. Zidane said on the matter: “That is already a good intention, and he has said it.”
“Every year he will see how he is feeling and he stays like he is now, then he can play until he is 40. The most important thing is how he feels.”
Raphael Varane has also been linked to various top European clubs. His contract ends in the summer of 2022. If he doesn’t sign a contract extension now, Real Madrid may decide to cash-in on him this summer. Zidane added: “I don’t think he is thinking about leaving.”
“He has always said this, he is very happy here. I see him [staying] here.”
Real Madrid’s recent marquee signing Eden Hazard has been nursing multiple injuries and is far from his best. Madrid fans are concerned that he is going to be the new Gareth Bale. But Zidane is still confident that Hazard will be back to his best.
Zidane said: “He has had a long injury that he’s never had before, so it’s natural he will feel some discomfort.”
“He has a long contract with us and when he gets fit, he will play like a beast.”
“I’m very positive and I’d like to speak to our fans and say that when you aren’t 100 percent things feel very complicated, but Hazard will do very well here.”
