Cristiano Ronaldo’s angry reaction to being substituted in La Liga last month was “good”, according to Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane.
In a 2-2 draw against Las Palmas, Zidane chose to take off the superstar attacker with 19 minutes remaining.
It was the first time in Ronaldo’s seven-year stint with Madrid that he had been tactically substituted, causing widespread shock from fans and pundits.
The Portugal international, predictably, was far from happy with his failure to complete the game, but Zidane did view his fury as a sign of disrespect.
Indeed, the French tactician was in fact pleased, as it showed that Ronaldo cared deeply.
The Madrid boss told RMC (via Goal): “It’s good that Ronaldo was upset when he came off.
“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.”
Los Blancos are currently on a run of four successive draws across La Liga and the Champions League, having also failed to beat Villarreal, Borussia Dortmund and Eibar.
Ronaldo began the campaign late following an injury sustained in the final of Euro 2016, and has struggled to display his best form since, netting just one goal in four league appearances.
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