What’s the story?
Sergio Ramos and Real Madrid senior players are unhappy with Karim Benzema and Isco for being overweight by specifically 2 kgs each, reports Okdiario. According to reports, the two players have been confronted by the senior players in the dressing room, and have been told to get their act together.
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The report states, “Ramos has moral and legal authority. Sergio represents that historic essence of Real Madrid in that he never gives up when they are against the ropes”.
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The background
This being Zidane’s second season at the helm of Real Madrid, Ramos has emerged as a real leader under the former World Cup winner. He has voice and command in the dressing room, which he has earned with his performances and his experience with the squad.
Therefore, he is the first to point fingers at his colleague. Real Madrid are approaching a crucial juncture where they take on Napoli in the Champions League and are at the top of the La Liga table with two games in hand.
The heart of the matter
Ramos has been at Real Madrid since his move from Sevilla in 2005 and understands the club inside out. The pair of Isco and Karim Benzema haven’t been at their best throughout the season for Real Madrid.
Isco has played only 950 minutes this season for Real Madrid, which includes just one appearance in the UEFA Champions League where he was subbed off in the 67th minute. He hasn’t had the impact he would have wanted, scoring 5 goals only from 16 appearances in the League.
Karim Benzema too has not been up to his usual standards, scoring just 10 goals from 26 appearances. Comparing that to previous seasons, where he scored 28 in 36 games (2015-16 season) and 21 in 38 games (2014-15 season).
What’s next?
It is obvious that the duo need to buckle up and get fit if they want to play for Real Madrid in the long run. There has been a lot of speculation about their futures, and at the moment being overweight doesn’t send the right noises to the management.
Sportskeeda’s take
Isco and Benzema are both important players for Zinedine Zidane and both supremely talented as well. It is no surprise, that Ramos and others in the dressing room understand the importance of them to the squad and have gone and had a word with them.
Also, from Isco and Benzema’s perspective, it is very unprofessional and shows with their underperformance on the field.
