Isco throws shade on Cristiano Ronaldo

The Spain midfielder spoke to the press ahead of Real Madrid's Champions League game against Viktoria Plzen and discussed the club's current situation. Appendectomy: “I’m coming back from an operation and it’s a slow process, I had internal and external stitches, and I’m just happy to be playing again. I’m eager to try and help the team and to get back to full fitness.” Results and fan unrest: “It’s difficult to take this number of bad results on board but I’ve been here for six seasons and I’ve been through tough moments and we have always managed to come back from it. Those that criticise us later find themselves with their tails between their legs because it seems that they enjoy seeing Madrid in a tricky situation, but you can never write us off.” Dressing room atmosphere: “When we go out onto the pitch we give it everything and when we don’t get the result we wanted we go home pissed off. We know what the atmosphere in the dressing room is like; we’re calm and with full confidence that we can turn this around.” Winless run: “I don’t believe in fate but in hard work and that’s what we’re doing but things aren’t going our way. I have complete confidence in this team, we’re winners and we’ve proved that time and again. There’s no point in dwelling on it. We need the fans behind us as well.” Is the worst over? “I hope so and that tomorrow will be the moment we get back on track and give the fans something to cheer about.” Do Madrid miss Cristiano Ronaldo? “We’ve been talking about this all season. There’s no point in talking about someone who isn’t here. I miss Bale and Carvajal when they’re not available. We have the solutions in the squad to score goals. We can’t cry about someone who didn’t want to be here.” Lopetegui: “He did a fantastic job with Spain and he’s doing the same here but results aren’t going our way. His idea of how to play football has made an impression on everybody, but things just aren’t coming together for us. Football is an opportunistic game but we have to turn it around.” Sergio Ramos said it would be madness to change coach now… “I agree. We have to let him do his job. We’re two months into the season and at the end of the day, it’s the players that have to play on the pitch. This is a collective thing. It’s not just down to the coach and I trust in this team to have a great season.” Lopetegui under scrutiny: “Genuinely, I don’t think the press has the power to get a coach sacked. We trust in him. We’re relaxed and from here on a million things can happen but we have to believe in this team.”

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