Zinedine Zidane Reacts To Sergio Ramos' Uncertain Future In Real Madrid

Sergio Ramos’ stay in Real Madrid has been rumored to be on the bubble as his contract draws closer to expiration. The Los Blancos’ star captain has been playing at the Santiago Bernabéu for 15 years, enough for Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane to believe that his prized defender should retire at the Spanish capital.

"Sergio belongs here as a player," Zidane told reporters following his club’s 2-0 victory over Real Mallorca on Wednesday. "He's been here for years and he should retire here. It's what I think and I'll stand by it."

Despite his age, Ramos, 34, has remained a force to reckon with for the Merengues. He continues to set the bar for veterans by proving that he can still stack up against a competition now lorded over by up and coming footballers.

In fact, Ramos was able to seize another record during the win against Mallorca. By scoring on a free-kick at the 56^th minute of the match, the Spanish center back became the first defender since Ezequiel Garay in 2006-07 to score eight or more goals in a single La Liga season.

The Los Blancos have now notched four straight victories since the return from the break, regaining the top spot in the league from Barcelona, whom they lead via a superior head-to-head record.

Zidane praised the offensive execution from Ramos and Vinicius Junior, who gave Madrid the early cushion at the 19^th minute. But more than that, 47-year-old said that it was his squad’s defense that placed him at a bliss.

"That's four wins in a row, but the standout feature for us today was our defensive solidity all round. We can get better going forward and that's what we'll try to do,” Zidane said, via Goal.

"We're all more or less in the same boat. The important thing is that it's four wins for us, but that's a credit to the players. We're training well and we always want more.

"The players' attitude has been phenomenal, so (are) players who are not playing as much, and this is what makes the difference in the dressing room. We have seven finals left, the players have to recover well and continue with what we are doing, we haven't won anything."

Madrid currently has 68 points at the peak of La Liga and will look to extend their searing run when they face Espanyol on Sunday.