One of the major doubts that have emerged since the end of La Liga for Real Madrid is Zinedine Zidane's future. Nevertheless, one of his most trusted pupils has stepped up to reveal the truth about his coach's future.
Speaking in an interview with L'Equipe, striker Karim Benzema described his relationship with the legendary player-turned-coach, while also letting fans know what will happen with the beloved Los Blancos coach.
"He has been Real Madrid's coach until now, hasn't he? I don't see him leaving. He won't leave, you'll see. If he goes, then he goes...but as far as I know, I don't see Real Madrid without Zidane," Benzema stated.
About their relationship on and off the pitch, Benzema highlighted one of Zidane's skills to get the most out of his players.
"Zizou has always been straight to me. He's been close and direct. When things are going well, he lets me know, and he sure tells me when they are not! He is always very forthcoming while on the pitch or during the training sessions. That gives you quite a lot of confidence. He's a coach, but he is also kind of a big brother to me. He's always been there for me, and he has helped me improve year after year," Benzema added.
The player, who will return to the French National Team after a six-year hiatus, also discussed some of the circumstances that led to his call up, while also adding that he was surprised to see his name in the squad that will play the competition.
"He never told me he'd call me up. We talked about a lot of things because we had a long, heart-felt chat between men that only matters to us. We said a lot of things to each other, but not only about football, also about life, family...But he never told me I'd go to the Euro. After that conversation I admitted that it was a huge step forward, and I was sure that if I stayed positive, my time would come," Benzema concluded.
The striker will return to the French National Team after one of the most successful seasons in his playing career at Real Madrid, where he scored 30 goals in all competitions. He will try to increase his goalscoring tally in the UEFA Euro with Les Blues, a team that has seen him score 27 goals in 81 apps.