Reports: Real Madrid star involved in furious bust-up with Zinedine Zidane
What’s the story?
Alvaro Morata had a furious bust-up with Zinedine Zidane after Real Madrid's 4-2 win over Bayern Munich according to Diario GOL. The Spaniard was frustrated that he could not play in such an important match, not even as a substitute.
The Spanish publication reports suggest that the forward was desperate to play in the Champions League match and expecting to be sent on when the side needed a goal in the final 10-15 minutes of the initial 90. The striker has now informed the club that he wants to leave in the summer no matter what they have to offer.
In case you didn’t know...
Morata was brought back from Juventus last summer for a fee reported to be €30 million. The striker was flourishing at Juventus and was enjoying game time every week.
Zidane saw his as the ideal 2nd choice striker for them and signed him back. However, something did not click, and he was benched more often than not.
The striker had offers from Chelsea and a Chinese club, but Los Blancos rejected all offers and asked him to stay. The forward was convinced that he will get opportunities to play but has never been given a chance.
The heart of the matter
Morata was an unused substitute during Real Madrid's 4-2 win over Bayern Munich on Tuesday night. Zidane brought on Marco Asensio, Lucas Vasquez and Mateo Kovacic as his three substitutes during the game and that left the Spanish striker frustrated.
After full-time, he confronted Zidane and questioned about his substitutions in the dressing room. The manager was left stunned, but there was no response from the Madrid boss according to reports.
The forward then returned the next day and informed the board that he wants to leave in the summer. The former Juve star is aware of interest from Chelsea and has asked the club to let him join The Blues' in the summer.
What’s next?
Chelsea will submit a bid for Morata in the coming weeks and with the forward asking to be sold; it is just a matter of how much they agree on. The Blues' had offered £70 million for the striker last summer but with the forward also wanting to leave the club, the fee will reduce by a huge margin.
Real Madrid are already in the market for a striker with Kylian Mbappe and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang being their top targets.
Author’s Take
What Morata did cannot be justified. He is frustrated, but one cannot confront a manager. Zidane is there to make decisions and all players at the club, have to respect it.