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REAL MADRID

Real Madrid: Zidane wants Isco to stay

The Spanish midfielder will look to put this season behind him and start next year’s campaign afresh, knowing he has Zidane’s full support and confidence.

MadridUpdate:
Real Madrid: Zidane wants Isco to stay

Zidane will be counting on Isco at Real Madrid next season.

The French coach considers the Malaga-born midfielder one of the key pillars of his new project as he looks to turn the club's fortunes around after what has been a terrible season.

Isco was reportedly on the verge of leaving the club after he had been completely been left out in the cold by former coach Santiago Solari, with the pair understood to have had a fractured relationship.

The Spanish international started just two games – a Copa del Rey tie against second division B side Melilla and the 3-0 home defeat to CSKA in the Champions League – and played a total of just 528 minutes during the Argentine coach’s 32-game tenure.

But since the return of Zidane, who has always had a good relationship with the player, the scenario has changed and the French coach has told him he will continue to put his confidence in him for next season. In fact it was ‘Zizou’ himself who recruited him in 2013 for 27 million euros, putting a stop to his potential move to Manchester City, the club to which he was again heavily linked during the Solari debacle.

Zidane pardoned Isco after Solari sanction

After the club had sanctioned him on Solari’s request for his conduct before Madrid’s Champions League tie with Ajax, Isco was pardoned by Zidane and has played in all nine league games since the French coach’s return on March 11, scoring in the first two fixtures against Celta Vigo and Huesca.

With his early-season layoff due to an appendicitis operation and his issues with Solari, it has been arguably the worst season for Isco since he joined the club in 2013. But now he will look to put this year behind him and start next year’s campaign afresh, comfortable in the knowledge he has Zidane’s full support and confidence.