Zidane opens door to Ronaldo Real Madrid return

Real Madrid's French coach Zinedine Zidane (R) stands with his trophy for winning The Best FIFA Men's Coach of 2017 Award alongside Real Madrid and Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo, with his trophy for winning The Best FIFA Men's Player of 2017 Award during The Best FIFA Football Awards ceremony, on October 23, 2017 in London. [AFP PHOTO / Ben STANSALL]

Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has admitted there is a chance the club will attempt to re-sign Cristiano Ronaldo this summer.

The Portuguese superstar left the Bernabeu after nine hugely successful years to join Juventus in 2018.

And despite winning two Serie A titles, Ronaldo has been criticised for his inability to inspire his team to Champions League glory, and was blasted for his role in the defeat to Porto last week which saw them crash out at the last-16 stage.

There are now rumours circulating that he could leave in the summer, with a lucrative move to China or the United States two of the suggested possible destinations.

But some have claimed he could make a stunning return to Madrid, with rumours that their president Florentino Perez has been in contact with Juve.

And speaking ahead of his side's game against Atalanta, Zidane did little to play down the talk.

When asked about if there is any truth to the speculation, he replied: "Yes, there may be. We know Cristiano, we know the person he is and everything he has done here.

Real Madrid's Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring his second goal during the UEFA Champions League round of sixteen first leg football match Real Madrid CF against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on February 14, 2018. [AFP PHOTO / GABRIEL BOUYS]

"But now he’s a Juventus player and we must respect this. Now, let’s see what the future will be.

"I was lucky enough to coach him and he is very impressive. Right now, he’s helping Juventus."

Despite the recent criticism, Ronaldo was back with a bang as he scored a first-half hat-trick in a 3-1 win over Cagliari on Sunday.

And he took to Instagram before the game to write: "More important than the number of falls you take in life, is how fast and how strong you get back on your feet... True champions never break!

"It’s true that the past belongs in museums (I should say!), but fortunately, football has memory... and so do I!

"History can’t be deleted, it’s written every single day with resilience, team spirit, persistence and lots of hard work.

"And those who don’t understand this, will never achieve glory and success."