Football
8y

Isco reaction to Real Madrid substitution was immature - Valdano

Former Real Madrid player and coach Jorge Valdano says the reaction of current Blancos midfielder Isco when substituted last weekend, was not that of a mature player.

Isco returned to the starting XI for Sunday evening's La Liga last gasp 2-1 win at Las Palmas and was substituted by coach Zinedine Zidane on the hour mark, with Madrid being outplayed in midfield by the relegation threatened Canary Islanders.

On being replaced by Mateo Kovacic, the Andalucian, 23, stormed off the pitch and threw both his jacket and water bottle angrily to the floor as he took his place on the bench -- with the show of petulance being picked up by many Spanish media including AS.

Asked about the incident on radio show El Larguero, Valdano, who has previously worked closely alongside Zidane at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in various roles, said such displays of temper did not help the atmosphere around the team.

"That is not a good contribution to the atmosphere that teams need," he said. "It is not the behaviour of a mature player. He will feel a debt to his team."

Zidane himself was very critical of Madrid's performance when speaking after Sunday's game, saying that the team "would not get anywhere playing like that", after they had taken the three points through Casemiro's late header from a corner.

Well-connected pundits at both AS and Marca say the former Madrid star is not at all impressed by the attitude and work-rate his players are showing in games away from the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu through recent weeks.

The local media has also reacted to Madrid's poor season so far by talking loudly about potential transfer targets for next summer -- with Borussia Dortmund's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Manchester United's David De Gea and Chelsea's Eden Hazard all featuring heavily in speculation.

Those players who might leave the Bernabeu during a proposed summer clear out are said to possibly include under performing midfielders James Rodriguez and Toni Kroos.

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