Kovacic and Varane were two other crises for Zidane

Posted Sunday, June 25, 2017 by Marca.com

Zinedine Zidane will face the oncoming crisis with Cristiano Ronaldo with total and absolute normality, just as he did when Mateo Kovacic and Raphael Varane caused him problems.

Shortly after Ronaldo went public with a desire to move from Real Madrid, the Frenchman phoned the Portuguese, taking a first step in his attempt to solve the tension created.

What is clear is that Zidane also faced very similar and stressful situations during last season.

Both Varane and Kovacic risked upsetting the harmony of the squad so the coach, following his normal course of action since arriving on the bench, calmed the mood with his usual understanding of each situation.

The Croatian had been signed in the summer of 2015 and though he played more minutes in 2016/17, being left out of the Champions League tie against Napoli did not sit well with him at all.

Kovacic had his representative come to Madrid to suggest there would be a rethink with regards to his future at the club, but neither the board nor the coach gave him any option to leave.

"There is no possibility that he will leave Real Madrid," a statement read.

"He will follow the orders of Zidane, there is no other possible alternative."

Although he accepted it, the youngster was still annoyed that he was left out on the day he returned to Italy.

Zizou calmed him down and made him see that he would continue to appear, that he was in his plans and that he will continue to be so during the next season.

The other case that set the alarm bells ringing was that of Varane.

He wasn't playing well enough to be considered a starter so Zidane spoke to him face to face.
It eventually made him see that he had to improve, and that some circumstances had made him lower the level of his performance.

However, Varane didn't share that view at first and he began to question his future too.

The talk between the two was decisive in the end because the young Frenchman's performances returned to normal and he dismissed the possibility of leaving.