Jorge Valdano: “Zidane placing Isco on the field was a message — ‘I don’t want you to leave’”

Jorge Valdano took to the radio airwaves, speaking with Spanish program Onda Cero, after the Granada match to discuss some of Zidane’s decisions after his sixth win in a row.

“Those who said they were withering, now are saying they are the best. Ramos, Modric, Kroos, Benzema — they are the ones who are supporting the team,” Valdano explained.

Valdano then discussed Modric’s replacement and the decision to substitute in Marco Asensio over Vinicius JR once Rodrygo fell to injury.

“Modric’s replacement? Valverde is more consolidated in the team than Odegaard. But, Zidane believes in Odegaard, and little by little, will start to give him opportunities,” Valdano explained. “I was surprised that Vinicius did not enter after the injury to Rodrygo, but another one of Zidane’s clear bets is Asensio”.

Finally, when asked about the substitution selection, specifically the decision to introduce Isco over Odegaard, Valdano was assured: “The fact that Zidane put Isco in was a message to the player: ‘I don’t want you to leave’. If it were not like that, then I would have put in Odegaard, who is the future”.