Zidane: Ronaldo is on vacation his future is at Real Madrid
Zinedine Zidane has moved to draw a line under speculation Cristiano Ronaldo wants to leave Real Madrid.
The four-time Ballon d’Or winner inspired Madrid to LaLiga and Champions League glory last season but reportedly wanted out in June after Spanish prosecutors accused him of tax fraud amounting to €14.7million.
Ronaldo denied the allegations via a statement from his management company Gestifute, although his relationship with the Santiago Bernabeu fanbase – he has been singled out for boos on numerous occasions during home matches – could also be viewed as strained.
The 32-year-old is yet to join Madrid on their International Champions Cup pre-season campaign in the United States, as he rests up following Portugal’s third-place finish at the Confederations Cup.
However, when Ronaldo returns, Zidane expects it to be business as usual.
#nike #CR7live pic.twitter.com/FkWJSzrfvl
— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) July 20, 2017
“He is on vacation. He is resting and deserves it,” Zidane told ESPN.
“We will wait and when the vacation ends, he will return with us and that’s it.
“Talk to Cristiano? No, because in the end Cristiano is at Madrid and is going to stay with us and that’s it.”
Madrid will face Manchester City, Manchester United and Clasico rivals Barcelona during their time in the US.
LaLiga’s fixture list for 2017-18 is set to be announced on Friday.
