Zidane's quit notion
Florentino Perez claims Real Madrid ace Zinedine Zidane was close to quitting.
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez claims Zinedine Zidane contemplated quitting football during the early days of his Santiago Bernabeu career.Zidane joined Real in a mind-boggling £45 million deal from Juventus over three years ago after establishing himself as the world's best player.
But his initial weeks in the Real cauldron were blighted by inconsistency as he struggled to translate his stunning form in Italy to the demands of Spanish football.
According to Real supremo Perez, the situation was so dire that the French playmaker mulled over leaving the club.
Perez, though, was delighted when the 32-year-old discovered his best form and feels Zidane has subsequently silenced any critics who questioned his lavish purchase.
"When Zidane came there was a debate inside Real Madrid," Perez told L'Equipe.
"Do we have to play with or without Zidane?' The unrest was bigger than today.
"With Zidane in La Liga, Real lost almost every match. Without him in the Champions League, we won.
"Later, Zidane even admitted he thought about stopping his career.
"Suddenly, in December his magic, his art, his class, made everyone quiet. To me, there is no doubt every player needs time to adapt."
