ZINEDINE ZIDANE HAS labelled Gary Lineker’s criticism of Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema as “embarrassing”.
During Madrid’s 1-1 Champions League draw against Tottenham on Tuesday, former England striker Lineker tweeted to claim Benzema was “a tad overrated” and “decent, not great”.
The 29-year-old Frenchman endured a frustrating outing in front of goal in midweek, with compatriot Hugo Lloris completing a remarkable save from a close-range header to ensure Benzema’s tally for the season remains on two from eight matches in all competitions.
Speaking ahead of Madrid’s La Liga match with Eibar on Sunday, Zidane said it was unrealistic for Benzema to provide prolific returns on a par with Cristiano Ronaldo.
Advertisement
But he labelled his forward as the best man to lead the line for Madrid – a pointed observation given recent speculation suggesting Spurs’ Harry Kane could be on Madrid’s radar.
“It’s not just Karim, he’s annoying me with [what he says about] Karim because, for people who know football, it’s embarrassing,” Zidane said, addressing the views of one-time Barcelona forward Lineker.
“He’s the best number nine for Madrid, by a long way. Karim will not score 60 goals, but he will score 20 goals and assists for 30 or 40 more.
“It bothers me when people talk badly about my players. For me, Benzema is the best.
“For me, a striker doesn’t only need to score goals. Karim has everything, not only the goals.
“If Karim has been at Real Madrid for almost 10 years it’s not an accident. He always recovers from everything, always shows his qualities.
“On the pitch, he is the best. He has everything. Every quality for a footballer. He could improve, he knows, and he works for it. When he scores more goals, he will be happier”.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Close
10 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic.
Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy
here
before taking part.
Zidane fires back at Lineker over his 'embarrassing' Benzema jibe
ZINEDINE ZIDANE HAS labelled Gary Lineker’s criticism of Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema as “embarrassing”.
During Madrid’s 1-1 Champions League draw against Tottenham on Tuesday, former England striker Lineker tweeted to claim Benzema was “a tad overrated” and “decent, not great”.
The 29-year-old Frenchman endured a frustrating outing in front of goal in midweek, with compatriot Hugo Lloris completing a remarkable save from a close-range header to ensure Benzema’s tally for the season remains on two from eight matches in all competitions.
Speaking ahead of Madrid’s La Liga match with Eibar on Sunday, Zidane said it was unrealistic for Benzema to provide prolific returns on a par with Cristiano Ronaldo.
But he labelled his forward as the best man to lead the line for Madrid – a pointed observation given recent speculation suggesting Spurs’ Harry Kane could be on Madrid’s radar.
“It’s not just Karim, he’s annoying me with [what he says about] Karim because, for people who know football, it’s embarrassing,” Zidane said, addressing the views of one-time Barcelona forward Lineker.
“He’s the best number nine for Madrid, by a long way. Karim will not score 60 goals, but he will score 20 goals and assists for 30 or 40 more.
“It bothers me when people talk badly about my players. For me, Benzema is the best.
“For me, a striker doesn’t only need to score goals. Karim has everything, not only the goals.
“If Karim has been at Real Madrid for almost 10 years it’s not an accident. He always recovers from everything, always shows his qualities.
“On the pitch, he is the best. He has everything. Every quality for a footballer. He could improve, he knows, and he works for it. When he scores more goals, he will be happier”.
Subscribe to The42 podcasts here:
George Best’s chaos, his Cork boss and a club in crisis: when United last faced Huddersfield
Premier League duo join Juan Mata in agreeing to donate 1% of their salaries to charity
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
La Liga UEFA Champions League Eibar Football Gary Lineker Karim Benzema Preview Real Madrid response Zinedine Zidane