Zidane: I´m glad Ronaldo was upset

Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane says it was good to see Cristiano Ronaldo get angry about being substituted in the 2-2 draw against Las Palmas.

The Portugal captain was visibly frustrated when, with Madrid 2-1 ahead, he was replaced by Lucas Vazquez after 72 minutes.

Zidane, however, insists that it is not possible for any player to sustain their best form if they play in every single match throughout a season – though he says there are no problems between Ronaldo and himself.

“It’s good that Ronaldo was upset when he came off,” he told RMC. “It shows that the guy is concerned and wants to bring something to the team. But it doesn’t matter. I explained it to him, and it’s over.

“We play 60 matches these days. In my time, we had that in two years. For me, a player can’t play 65 matches in a season at the same level.

“I talk to my players first, I explain it to them. I want to have their opinion.”

A late equaliser from Sergio Araujo denied Madrid all three points in Gran Canaria, and a 1-1 stalemate against Eibar the following week allowed Atletico Madrid to leapfrog their city rivals at the top of the table.