Real Madrid's Zinedine Zidane criticises international break, wants players fit

Published on: 17 March 2018

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Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane has questioned the timing of the upcoming international break and hopes his players return fit and healthy after playing with their countries next week.

Almost all of Madrid's players will head away for friendlies with their countries following Sunday's La Liga game at home to Girona -- including Wales international Gareth Bale, who is likely flying to the Far East for the China Cup despite missing some training with his club earlier this week.

On their return, Madrid face a La Liga trip to struggling Las Palmas followed immediately by the Champions League quarterfinals, with a La Liga derbi at home to Atletico Madrid between the two legs against Juventus.

Zidane said at a news conference that he had to respect the calendar, even if he appeared not to agree with it.

"We cannot change this," Zidane said. "We have 24 players, everybody fit, and 19 now go with their national teams. But in the end I cannot say anything. It is important for the player to represent their country. I don't know if this is the best date on the calendar, but we must respect that. I would like them all to return healthy, without any problems."

Bale appears to have dropped down the pecking order at the Bernabeu in recent weeks, beginning both Champions League round-of-16 games against Paris Saint-Germain on the bench, but Zidane denied that the €101 million summer 2013 signing from Tottenham Hotspur was unhappy with his current situation.

"Bale is not unhappy, not at all," Zidane said. "He is a different player, maybe, but he is not unhappy, he is with us, he is happy to be at this club, and has shown that he is an important player in this squad."

Real Madrid's Gareth Bale will likely fly to China for Wales' international friendly.

Madrid were drawn against Juventus, one of Zidane's former clubs, in the Champions League quarterfinals. They beat Juve 4-1 in last year's final in Cardiff, Wales.

"I see Juve strong as last year, competitive as always," Zidane said. "It will be a difficult tie, 50-50. They are a great opponent, but at this stage of the competition they all are. I was there for five years, and it was an important club for my career. I would have preferred to avoid it, for many reasons. But the draw is made and I will leave aside the past and just think about the game."

Madrid on Sunday will welcome Girona to the Bernabeu for the first time and are looking to avenge the Catalans' 2-1 victory in the reverse fixture in October.

"La Liga is very competitive. Here there are no small teams. They are all good teams who play good football," Zidane said. "Girona are having a very good season. We saw what they did and what they are doing. But we always look at the details of the opponent, but the most important is what we do ourselves on the pitch. We have worked well this week, and are looking forward to the game."

That defeat at Girona is among the reasons why last year's La Liga champions sit third in the table, 15 points behind leaders Barcelona with 10 games remaining.

Zidane did not completely deny a suggestion that his players found it more difficult now to get themselves up for each domestic fixture.

"When you look at the table, maybe it looks more difficult as the gap is so big," Zidane said. "But we must think that every game we have is important, to prepare. We are third now, and we must get up to second, back above Atletico. That is a very important objective for us.

"The players might think it is more difficult to motivate yourself for La Liga, but our players always want to play and tomorrow, we have a chance for another great game."

Dermot Corrigan is a Madrid-based football writer who covers La Liga and the Spain national team for ESPN FC. Follow him on Twitter @dermotmcorrigan

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Source: espn.co.uk

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