It’s painful to see Zidane at Real Madrid – Xavi

The iconic midfielder compared the coach to Lionel Messi as a player who finds favour in every corner of the footballing world

Barcelona legend Xavi has admitted that it is tough to watch Real Madrid under Zinedine Zidane - a man he admires so greatly.

The Frenchman has led the Bernabeu side to successive Champions League titles – a first in the modern era of the competition – but with Paris Saint-Germain looming in the last 16 of this season’s competition, Madrid find themselves fourth in La Liga, 19 points off the pace of Barca, albeit with a game in hand.

As such, Zidane has come under pressure, and while a 4-1 win over Valencia last weekend has eased that somewhat, Xavi retains terrific respect for him.