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Real Madrid star Isco believes that he has been treated unfairly by his manager, Zinedine Zidane. The Spaniard has featured sporadically for the Blancos in recent times, and he has made no secret of his displeasure due to his limited minutes.
The ex-Malaga creative midfielder had several injury issues and most recently suffered a sprained ankle. Isco started Real Madrid's home loss to Cadiz last weekend before being omitted from both, their 3-2 loss to Shakhtar Donetsk in midweek as well as the 3-1 El Clasico win at the Nou Camp.
Isco didn't hold back in his assessment of his situation in the Spanish capital.
Isco complains about playing time at Real Madrid
During the El Clasico, Isco was caught on cameras complaining about Zidane's treatment of the player, saying that he wasn't being given enough minutes on the pitch. The 28-year-old expressed [via Movistar+’s footage];
"If he [Zinedine Zidane] has to take me off, he takes me off in the 50th or 60th minute of the game. Sometimes even at half-time."
After accumulating just over a thousand minutes of league football last year, Isco has managed only 147 minutes in Real Madrid's league campaign so far, and is evidently unhappy with his exclusion. In fact, much of his stay at Real Madrid has followed a similar pattern of him being in and out of the preferred XI.
The Spaniard was preferred over the likes of James Rodriguez at one point as Zidane opted for a midfield diamond with Isco at the tip of the quartet behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale.
However, in recent times, there have been suggestions that his fitness, lack of work ethic and defensive contribution have all led to Zidane opting for the likes of Fede Valverde over him. Isco's constant unavailability has also led to questions over his Real Madrid future, with his contract set to run out in the summer of 2022.
Sergio Ramos reiterated the importance of the team's defensive structure as a unit after their El Clasico victory, saying;
"The win was a result of the defensive work of the group. We [Real Madrid] have run, we have suffered, and there is the result. It is the line that we must reach and maintain throughout the season. In the end, in football there are things that cannot be negotiated such as attitude and intensity, and the team has put in the maximum from the beginning to the end."
Goals from Fede Valverde, Sergio Ramos, and substitute Luka Modric saw off thei hosts, and Isco was left on the bench as an unused substitute.
