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'Things get heated': Real Madrid's Zidane on Benzema-Vinicius feud

WION Web Team
New Delhi, Delhi, IndiaUpdated: Oct 30, 2020, 08:04 PM IST
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Madrid's French head coach Zinedine Zidane. Photograph:(AFP)

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In the footage, Benzema was seen criticising the young Brazilian to defender Ferland Mendy, telling the fullback not to pass to him.

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane on Friday denied any problems between forwards Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior after footage emerged at halftime of Tuesday's 2-2 Champions League draw with Borussia Moenchengladbach. 

In the footage, Benzema was seen criticising the young Brazilian to defender Ferland Mendy, telling the fullback not to pass to him.

"The most important thing is that it's cleared up and that the players sort it out themselves. You say a lot of things on the pitch, but it always stays there," Zidane told a news conference, confirming local media reports that Vinicius and Benzema had buried the hatchet at training on Thursday.

"It's good that these kind of things happen, because it means we're alive and in the moment.

"They spoke and that's that. This kind of thing happens all the time on the pitch, things get heated. You say things about yourself, others and even me."

Hazard donned the white jersey for the first time since August in the game following a lengthy injury, but Zidane said he might resist the temptation to start him in Saturday's meeting at home to minnows Huesca.

"He's training well, and things look good. When you get injured it's tough because as a player you just want to play," Zidane said.

"We've got a lot of games coming up and the idea is that he's with us for them. We'll see how we manage his game time, but the most-important thing is that he's feeling good. There's lots of games, lots of minutes, to come."

(Inputs from Reuters)