Football
Dermot Corrigan, Madrid correspondent 7y

Isco not unhappy at Real Madrid and wants to stay for 'a long time'

Real Madrid playmaker Isco has denied he is upset with barely featuring in the Champions League so far this season, adding that he "hopes" to stay at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu beyond the summer.

Spain international Isco has featured for just 77 minutes in Madrid's nine Champions League games so far in 2016-17, despite being fit for almost all of the campaign, and remained on the bench when Marco Asensio, James Rodriguez and Mateo Kovacic entered from the bench during last week's 2-1 quarterfinal first leg win at Bayern Munich.

A calf injury for Gareth Bale now appears to have opened up a spot in the starting XI for Tuesday's return at home to Bayern. And respondents to an AS online poll voted 10,870 to 1,481 that Isco should begin that game, following his two-goal man-of-the-match performance in the La Liga leaders' last-gasp 3-2 win at Sporting Gijon on Saturday afternoon.

Speaking after the game in Gijon, Isco said that he understood that Zidane made the decisions and the most important thing was for the team to progress through the competition.

"I don't know, the boss decides," Isco said. "The truth is I have not played much in the Champions League but I will take that as the team is close to the semifinals. The important thing is to go through, not who plays."

Isco's future is currently uncertain, with the 24-year-old having just over 12 months left on his current Madrid contract, and having hinted that he will consider his future this summer in search of more regular playing time.

The reported Manchester City and Barcelona target said his intention remained to stay at the Bernabeu "for many years" while not confirming that he would sign a new contract with the Spanish giants.

"I've said it many times," Isco said. "I want to stay a long time, many years, and I hope I do. I have always been clear on this. I don't know why people get surprised when I want to play more.

"If I believed I did not deserve to, I would not say that I did. I am at the biggest club in the world, there is nobody bigger than Madrid and I feel lucky to be here. Sometimes the media misinterpret what you say, to sell papers. I have always said I want to stay at Madrid, and I will make the correct decision. I will do everything possible to stay."

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