Zidane defends Cristiano Ronaldo: “I take my hat off to him”

Zinedine Zidane has backed Cristiano Ronaldo amid the controversy surrounding the Portuguese star and the national team. Speaking ahead of France's Nations League clash with Belgium, the Frenchman highlighted the forward's remarkable career and stressed that Ronaldo deserves respect for everything he has achieved in football.

“I take my hat off to Cristiano,” Zidane said, recalling their successful spell together at Real Madrid. The Frenchman stressed that he was fortunate to work with Ronaldo and that the Portuguese star helped the team achieve incredible success. The pair were at the heart of Real Madrid's historic run of three consecutive Champions League titles between 2016 and 2018.

Zidane's comments come as Ronaldo's future with the Portugal national team is once again uncertain following the tensions with Jorge Jesus. The 41-year-old left Portugal's training camp, with the country's football federation officially confirming his departure without initially revealing details of the reasons behind it.

Zidane's support underlines the huge respect he continues to have for one of the most important figures from his successful spell in charge of Real Madrid.