{"id":610004,"date":"2019-04-25T06:06:18","date_gmt":"2019-04-25T06:06:18","guid":{"rendered":"
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Zinedine Zidane said on Wednesday La Liga will be Real Madrid\u2019s top priority next season after they were mathematically ruled out of the title race with five games left.<\/p>\n

Barcelona\u2019s victory over Alaves confirmed that Madrid cannot be crowned champions given they sit 16 points behind the Catalans with only 15 still to play for.<\/p>\n

Despite incredible success in the Champions League, it means Madrid have now won the Spanish title only once in seven years while Barca are on the cusp of securing their fourth in the last five, and eighth in 11.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor us next year, the league must be our number one priority,\u201d Zidane said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the longest competition, it\u2019s the one that cannot be missed and I\u2019m going to put that in the heads of my players.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt will be our bread and butter for sure, without devaluing the rest, because we try to fight on all fronts at this club, but our bread and butter will be La Liga.\u201d<\/p>\n

Barcelona\u2019s 26th league title will be confirmed on Wednesday night if Atletico Madrid are beaten at home to Valencia. If Atletico avoids defeat, Barca can wrap it up with a win at home to Levante on Saturday.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have 33 titles,\u201d Zidane said. \u201cBarca are doing well, I will admit when a rival is doing well, but in history, Real Madrid has more league titles.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut they have been doing better lately and we need to change the dynamic.\u201d<\/p>\n

Madrid are likely to be busy this summer, with Gareth Bale heading a long list of players who could depart while Chelsea\u2019s Eden Hazard is among those expected to arrive.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven if we always work together with the club, the coach has a say in relation to players and the profiles of players he wants,\u201d Zidane said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere has not been much recruitment during the last two or three years. This year there will certainly be a little more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thibaut Courtois has shaken off a thigh injury and is available to face fourth-placed Getafe on Thursday, meaning Zidane must again decide between the Belgian and Keylor Navas.<\/p>\n

Zidane was loyal to Navas during his first stint in charge and has said again that next season there will be no debate about his first-choice goalkeeper.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I would like to do I won\u2019t say,\u201d Zidane said. \u201cI would like a lot of things but sometimes they are not done, sometimes the opposite even.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut this is not the time to talk about this today. Thibaut is available and so is Keylor.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zidane said Vinicius Junior is not yet ready despite returning to training after almost two months out with an ankle ligament injury.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe won\u2019t get any minutes tomorrow, he has to work again,\u201d Zidane said. \u201cWe have to give him time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Getafe\u2019s remarkable bid for Champions League qualification has them sitting two points ahead of both Valencia and Sevilla. They beat Sevilla 3-0 at home on Sunday.<\/p>\n

Source:AFP<\/p>\n

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