According to sources, Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane is worried about the fitness standards of his squad members. Last week’s fixture against Deportivo la Coruna marked Zidane’s inaugural match as the manager.
They had a thumping 5-0 victory over Deportivo wherein Bale scored a hat trick and Benzema scored the other two goals. It is widely believed that Madrid’s physical weakness was disguised by a terrible performance from Coruna.
After four practice sessions with his team, Zidane is reported to have indicated that they are no where near the level of fitness that they should be at this point of the season. The Frenchman is particularly disappointed by the likes of Toni Kroos, James Rodriguez and Danilo.
Zidane has already started formulating a plan to bring his players back into shape. The World-Cup winning footballer is convinced that his team is not up to the level required to face Barcelona or Atletico Madrid or the other giants in the Champions League.
Rafa Benitez’s reign had left the team dismantled in many ways with reports suggesting that some of the stars were not happy with him as their head coach. The veteran is of the opinion that Benitez has left behind a team that is physically unfit and does not match the standard expected at the Santiago Bernebeu.
Toni Kroos had made a bad start to the season and was consigned to the bench by Benitez. James Rodriguez was also revealed to have given in to the temptation of the Madrid night life and subsequently lost his form.
Zidane’s decision to have Daniel Carvajal as the right-back against Deportivo spoke volumes about his thought process regarding Danilo. Real Madrid are to face Sporting, Real Betis and Espanyol in their upcoming fixtures.
The former Madrid footballer’s main objective is to enhance the physical level of a team that has lost out on its sharpness. Apparently Zidane’s plan for recovery is on the move. Madrid are out of Copa del Rey and this allows for more time to work hard on the players’ fitness.
With the Champions League knock-out stages scheduled to begin in the middle of February, Zidane will hope that his team will be able to get ready for the grueling encounters. In the La Liga table, Real Madrid are third with 40 points behind Atletico Madrid and Barcelona.
