As Zinedine Zidane prepares for his first game in charge of Real Madrid against Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday, the 43-year-old has reiterated his support for Cristiano Ronaldo’s continued stay at the club, calling the 30-year-old Portuguese the “soul” of the club.
This is coming after Manchester United’s manager Louis van Gaal said in November that he would like to see the return of Ronaldo to the club.
“Cristiano is more than non-transferable,” Zidane said. “He is the soul of the team. He’s going nowhere.”
The Frenchman had also debunked rumours earlier in the week that Wales international, Gareth Bale, would be leaving Los Blancos, in a possible return to the Premier League.
He described the Welshman as “fundamental” to the club, saying “he is important for the squad and fundamental for the team.”
Recall that Ronaldo had moved to Real Madrid in 2009, in a then world-record deal of £80 million, which was beaten by the £85.3 million transfer of Bale in 2013.