Everyone at Real Madrid seems tired of the controversy fueled by Spanish media involving Cristiano Ronaldo and his views after the Madrid derby. Today, coach Zinedine Zidane revealed that the player spoke to the entire squad and everyone's on the same page: leaving the derby in the past and trying to beat Levante.
During the pre-match press conference held today at Valdebebas, the French boss stated that whatever happened after the game against Atlético should be considered "water under the bridge", and the team should focus on what's next.
"Cristiano spoke to all of us, and that's it. We know how important he is to the team, and we are all on the same page. Our main goal is to win whatever games we have next, and we will deliver. We'll try our best and we will do it from within. Those who are not part of this team don't matter to us," Zidane said.
#Cristiano was apparently referring to his FITNESS level. Full transcript via @LordRojas_: https://t.co/RIhkPaHYiA pic.twitter.com/d1xsE3qMwF
— LiveSoccerTV.com (@LiveSoccerTV) March 1, 2016
The former Ballon D'Or winner also stepped up and tackled the rumors spread by Spanish newspaper Marca, which claim James Rodriguez could leave Los Blancos due to his lack of commitment. Zidane analyzed his pupil's season, and asked his haters to cut him some slack.
"He's giving 100%, but sometimes things don't go the way you want them to go. I know that because I was a player myself. What he needs is consistency, and so does the entire team. As long as I'm this team's coach, no one will jump ship or stop fighting," the coach added.
Finally, Zidane tackled another issue brought up by the same media outlet, in which his future with the club could be under questioning. The former midfielder denied being worried about it, keeping his mind focused on defeating Levante.
"What matters to us is what happens on a day-by-day basis, not what will happen in three months. I know you guys (the press) are worried about it, but that's not my problem. When I got here it was all beautiful, but now after one loss it all of a sudden is dark. I know that my players and staff will stand up to this challenge and keep moving forward," Zidane concluded.
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