Calling off training because of snow is no excuse
At 5pm yesterday, I was in my car heading north on the M-30 motorway. There was hardly any signs of the heavy snowfall which had covered the capital earlier that morning. And what's more, I could even see a ray of sunshine peeping through the clouds. At 5pm, Zidane's squad should have been training. At that time of the day, conditions were perfect but the session was cancelled because of the weather - effectively giving the players a day and a half of rest...!?! I cannot begin to understand how exhausted they must have been after their sedentary stroll at Mestalla on Saturday evening. If that wasn't bad enough it was a mutual agreement between Zidane and the players to take the day off: “No, we're not going to train today”. How very inspiring to hear - just nine days away from a vital game against PSG which could make or break their season...
Business as usual elsewhere in Madrid
Just a few hours earlier, the great Sergio Llull posted a video of himself in the gym in Valdebebas, working hard in his battle to return from a very serious injury: “Wind, rain or shine - we keep working!”. Llull is setting an example here - a lesson which the football team would be wise to take note of. My son went to school, everyone in the AS newsroom turned up on time, butchers' shops, newsagents, supermarkets, restaurants and bars were all open for business - not one was closed... Getafe trained, Leganés trained... No one else saw the snow as an excuse to take the day off. Apart from my team, Real Madrid...