Football
Dermot Corrigan, Madrid correspondent 7y

Zinedine Zidane: Real Madrid stars don't get preferential treatment

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane has denied that he has an A and B side, and dismissed the idea that he is unfair to the less established members of his squad.

Amid a heavy schedule in La Liga and the Champions League, Madrid's backup players including Isco, Alvaro Morata, Marco Asensio and Lucas Vazquez have been rotated into the team and impressed again in Wednesday's 6-2 La Liga win at Deportivo La Coruna.

However, when the bigger games come around the more established stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Luka Modric are likely to start -- as seen with Gareth Bale being named in the XI for last weekend's Clasico against Barcelona despite his struggles with injury.

Zidane told his prematch news conference ahead of Saturday's La Liga game at home to Valencia -- when his side can move three points clear at the top of the table for a few hours at least -- that his selection policy showed he had "immense respect" for everyone in his squad.

"You might think I am being unfair, but I don't think so," Zidane said. "Just the reverse. I have immense respect for my players. Then I must choose, but there are other clubs where substitutes do not play even one minute, or just when the coach needs them, and then it is too late.

"For me no. There is always the group, they are all important, and I believe I am showing that to all the squad. Then, of course, I have to choose an XI. You might see it as 'A' and 'B' for different games, but I do not."

Even with reporters arguing that players such as Isco should be in the XI for Tuesday's Champions League semifinal first leg against Atletico Madrid, Zidane said he is not influenced by the media or fans' opinions and is only concerned with communicating his decisions honestly to his players.

"I understand that everyone can have their opinions," Zidane said. "But I am coach of Real Madrid now. So I must make my own decisions. I spend all the day here thinking about the team and my players. I am not interested in anything else. I am here to explain to the players, not to [the media].

"It is difficult as I have been a player. And I always played, more or less. I know that Isco does not play every game, it is difficult. To just say nonsense to the player, I wouldn't do that either. But we have a game tomorrow, we have a game Tuesday, and Isco is feeling good, confident and has the confidence of his coach. We will go like this until the end, and then we will see for next season."

Zidane also disagreed with the idea that he was "brave" in telling stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, who has been rested for four of the team's last five away games, that he is not starting.

"When you have 30 or 40 games a season, you can use 12 or 13 players," he said. "Today you cannot do that. And even more here as they are almost all internationals with their countries, and we have 60 or 70 games. I have my philosophy. It is not about being brave, just the way I think.

"I am not the person who will sit down Cristiano or Gareth or anything like that. We discuss with the players and I always explain my thinking. Then we go forward all together, on the same path, with the same idea. You must make the player understand this is the path. And when they are with you, then great, as is happening."

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