Real Madrid Manager Zinedine Zidane Criticises Media Negativity Ahead of Villarreal Clash

Zinedine Zidane has expressed his frustration with Real Madrid's critics in the press, saying that they are overly negative about his team "as it sells better".

Zinedine Zidane has expressed his frustration with Real Madrid's critics in the press, saying that they are overly negative about his team "as it sells better".

Quoted by Marca in his latest press conference, the Madrid boss defended Real's poor form, which has seen them slip to fourth in La Liga table, 16 points behind rivals Barcelona.

MIGUEL RIOPA/GettyImages

"I am tired of hearing that Real Madrid are bad, it is easy to say that everything is bad but you know that everything is not negative here," Zidane said ahead of this weekend's visit of Villarreal.

"It is great to speak in a negative way about Real Madrid as it sells better."

Real have already dropped nineteen points so far this season, only two fewer than they dropped in the entirety of the last campaign. Barcelona, by contrast, are still unbeaten in the league and currently on a six-match winning run.

Valencia, Levante, Betis, Tottenham, Fuenlabrada, Barcelona and Numancia have all avoided defeat (Betis & Barça won, the rest drew) at the Bernabéu this season. Surprise.

— Ben Hayward (@bghayward) January 11, 2018

Los Blancos also finished second in their Champions League group behind Tottenham and drew 2-2 with lower league Numancia in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday night. But Zidane remains defiant about his team's prospects this season.

"What we have to do is not listen to what they [the media] say," he said.

"All that they say about Real Madrid is negative and that is not right, I do not see it that way. The situation is what it is and we need to look at the positive. We are still going in all the competitions."

Despite Real's indifferent form, Zidane revealed after the Numancia game that he had signed a new contract to keep him at the Bernabeu until 2020.