Zidane on his Madrid status: If I can’t do what I want with my team, I’ll leave

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Zinedine Zidane has insisted that if he can’t choose who plays in his Real Madrid team, he’ll leave the club.

There has been plenty of speculation regarding whether the club have told him who they want and who they don’t want in the squad next season, especially in the goalkeeper position.

“I will decide who will be the first and second choice goalkeepers,” Zidane told the press. “It’s my decision. It’s as clear as water. If I can’t do what I want with my team, I’ll leave, that’s for sure.

“Then there are people who sign players and we do that together. But the starting 11, the bench, those that aren’t in the squad, that’s only for me to decide.”

“It’s not that it’s not fair because he’s my son but because he’s spent his whole life at Real Madrid and he’s shown he’s good enough. It’s going to be very clear for him next year and I’ve not told the club I want Luca to be back-up goalkeeper. It’s something that we’ll decide in the right moment with the goalkeepers and all the players, but the fact that he’s in the squad isn’t because he’s is my son. I told him 17 years ago: mate, your whole life is going to be like this.”

There were reports in the media that Keylor Navas has been told he can leave Los Blancos this summer, but Zidane denied any official decision has been made.

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“If I’ve said goodbye to him, if I want him to leave… there’s one game left,” the French coach said. “The goalkeeper position will be very clear next year, but nothing more. We’ll see what happens.

“As for Keylor, who knows what I’ve told him, no one knows. I’ve spoken with everyone. Navas has a contract, then we’ll see.”

If Navas does leave the club, it’s thought that the Real Madrid board want Andriy Lunin to be Thibaut Courtois’ back-up next season, but Zidane wants his son Luca to have that role.

“It’s not that it’s not fair because [Luca] is my son but because he’s spent his whole life at Real Madrid and he’s shown he’s good enough,” Zidane said.

“It’s going to be very clear for him next year and I’ve not told the club I want Luca to be back-up goalkeeper. It’s something that we’ll decide in the right moment with the goalkeepers and all the players, but the fact that he’s in the squad isn’t because he’s is my son. I told him 17 years ago: mate, your whole life is going to be like this.”

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