Isco responds to De la Red: "I agree, but when you aren't being given the same opportunities..."
"Isco has to realize that Real Madrid doesn't wait for anyone", De la Red told AS this morning and the Madrid player replied, with a veiled attack on Solari.
Ruben de la Red voiced his thoughts on Isco's situation at Real Madrid and the player has instantly responded with a message which hints at a breakdown in his relationship with Solari. When asked about Isco losing his place in the team, De la Red said: "Isco has to realize that Real Madrid doesn't wait for anyone". A few hours later, Isco responded on Twitter: "I completely agree with De la Red, but when you are not getting the same opportunities as your team mates, that changes things... Despite that, I'm continuing to work hard and battling for the moment when those opportunities arrive! Hala Madrid!!".
Key month for Madrid
With his response, Isco provoked a storm of comments on social media during what is a key month for Real Madrid: just hours after the team gained a 1-1 draw in the Cup at Camp Nou, two days before the derby against Atlético, with Ajax in the Champions League on Wednesday and two more Clásicos in four days in the next three weeks.
It's obvious that the working relationship between Solari and Isco has deteriorated. Almost as soon as he took the job, the coach has shown that he is not willing to be flexible with the player, and feels undermined by his attitude. But it seems the resentment goes beyond purely professional issues. The first episode bewteen the two took place at Ipurua. It was strange that Isco was not in the XI and came on only when Madrid were trailing 3-0 and with less than half an hour to go. It later transpired that words were exchanged on the team bus on the journey back home. In the next game, against Roma, Solari left Isco in the stands. Since then, their relationship has not improved. Isco has played just 37 minutes in six games and in total, Solari has fielded him from the start three times in 24 games - and in the less significant games (the Copa del Rey return leg against Melilla, against CSKA in the Champions League and in the Copa second leg against Leganés). The statistics are revealing: Isco is number 21 in the ranking of players with most playing time under Solari - 514 minutes, 23.7%...