Where did it go wrong for Morata at Madrid?
Alvaro Morata made a big decision over his future this summer, and ultimately called time on his career with first club Real Madrid to seal a transfer to Premier League giants Chelsea.
The Spain international was reduced to a bit-part role at the Bernabeu last season, and opted instead to try his luck with the Blues, where he has since shone under Antonio Conte.
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It has now emerged that much of his decision was down to tensions between himself and previous manager Zinedine Zidane, particularly regarding his relationship with Los Blancos striker Karim Benzema.
According to Diario Gol, Morata became convinced that he could not break past Benzema into the Real squad due to Zidane’s special treatment of the player.
When evaluating his situation, the 24-year-old is said to have been shown old interviews from Benzema about his fellow Frenchman, with one quote in particular proving the tipping point.
Morata’s entourage, claim Diario Gol, showed the player a line from a Benzema interview in 2016, which read: ‘Zidane is like my big brother’.
The report adds that many inside the club now view it as a mistake to let Morata join Chelsea, as he has made a fine start to the season while Benzema has struggled.
Still, the former Juventus front-man will feel he made the right choice after Zidane’s undying loyalty to Benzema proved a major obstacle in his prospects of making it at the Bernabeu.