Zidane supposedly blacklists eight players from the Real Madrid first-team
Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane has been accused of blacklisting eight players from the first-team after a nosedive in the side’s form.
Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane faces a race against time in a bid to save his future at the Santiago Bernabeu. The 3-time Champions League winner has insisted that he wants to remain in his position and will not resign, but there is little he will be able to do if Florentino Perez decides to fire him after a substandard string of results.
With four extremely difficult and decisive fixtures on the horizon, the manager must choose his preferred players and there will be no room for lapses whether it is in La Liga or the Champions League. Having said that, the manager has now decided to ostracize no less than eight first-team players, according to Diario Sport.
Among the defenders, the name of Marcelo stands out. The Brazilian has fallen behind Ferland Mendy in the pecking order and the Whites have lost all the matches in which he has started this season. Marcelo’s performances have been subpar to say the least, but for a player who is loyal to the club, it remains to be seen whether there is any truth behind the claim.
From the midfielders, Isco, Martin Odegaard and Toni Kroos may be singled out, and this may be just another baseless claim from the Spanish media, at least for the latter duo. Odegaard was brought back from Real Sociedad on Zidane’s request, while Kroos has been one of the best Real Madrid players, even if it is in a losing situation.
Eden Hazard, Marco Asensio, Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior complete the specious list of supposedly blacklisted players. Hazard and Zidane have mentioned their admiration for one another, so there is no reason why there would be a sour taste between the duo, whereas he has consistently appreciated the Brazilian duo of Vini and Rodrygo, as well as Asensio.
Zidane will certainly need to make some bold choices in the dressing room in the future, including the potential exclusions of Isco and Marcelo, but there seems to be little to no truth in the story that he has lost his faith in the mentioned players. As is the case very often with some of the world’s biggest clubs, this seems like a story cooked by the media.
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On a scale of 1 to 5, how likely is it that the said players will be involved on a lesser basis, as per you?