Gary Lineker's words about Karim Benzema were not ignored by Real Madrid's coach, and if he wanted a reply, he surely was handed one by Zinedine Zidane.
Earlier this week, the legendary English footballer slammed Benzema's performance against Tottenham due to his continuous misses in front of goal. The Frenchman even walked away from the pitch while being booed by Santiago Bernabeu's crowd, and Lineker didn't miss the opportunity to aim a dig against the down-on-his-luck striker.
Is it me or is Benzema a tad overrated? A goal every other game in a team as strong as Real Madrid is nada especial. Decent not great.
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) October 17, 2017
Speaking at today's pre-match press conference, Zinedine Zidane directed his words against Lineker, defending his striker and giving him a vote of confidence.
"It's shameful to read people who know about this business saying things like that. I feel for Karim, because I believe he's the best. People think that he has to score 50 or 60 goals per season, and that's not the case. I know he can score thirty and participate in 30 more," Zidane stated.
"Maybe for some people, a No.9 striker has to score tons of goals, but I disagree. Karim has all the skills I need when looking for a striker. I care more about how he associates with his team-mates, how he creates chances for those beside him. And to those who think a striker is only about scoring goals, it's fine, but that's not my philosophy," the coach added.
The French tactician ended the press conference asking for their fans' support, especially because he believes the team is still in range of winning every trophy at hand.
When you look back at how we've played, we're right there. We're five points behind the leader in La Liga, we're at the top of our group in the UCL, and even with all the injuries, we have already won two trophies. We'll battle to win La Liga and the Champions League. Let's not blow things out of proportion now," Zidane concluded.
Los Blancos host Eibar on Sunday, hoping to cut the gap between them and current league leaders Barcelona.
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