Cristiano Ronaldo Talks Zinedine Zidane, Manchester City, Champions League, More

Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo told reporters that he wants Zinedine Zidane to remain in charge of the club for the foreseeable future, as he makes the players feel “appreciated,” per UEFA's official media (via Joshua Byers of Marca).

“I think we're more appreciated under Zidane, we feel his warmth, and I would like him to stay with Real Madrid," he said.

Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images

Ronaldo reportedly had a rocky relationship with previous Real boss Rafael Benitez, and their falling out seemingly contributed to the Spaniard losing his job after just seven months at the helm, as Rik Sharma of MailOnline revealed.

Yet Zidane looks to have earned Ronaldo’s precious seal of approval, as the frontman said he’s steering the club in the right direction quicker than expected and coaching the right way: “We're still going through a transitional period, but it's working out faster than we had imagined. I admired Zidane as a player and now also as a manager, because of the way he is and the way he coaches."

GERARD JULIEN/Getty Images

Ronaldo isn’t the only player enjoying life under the Frenchman, either, as Gareth Bale has also sung his praises.

Speaking with BT Sport Football, Bale said Zidane gives his players confidence and the license to express themselves on the pitch:

Still, any Real Madrid manager’s career is defined by the silverware they collect, and Zidane has a great chance of scooping UEFA Champions League glory this term.

Los Blancos take on Manchester City in the semi-final second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on Wednesday with the score finely poised at 0-0, yet Ronaldo thinks the English side could prove a stern test: “We know we're facing a difficult challenge. Manchester City are in the semi-finals for a reason, it isn't easy beating Paris Saint-Germain; City are a team with very few weaknesses.”

The Portuguese star was forced to sit out of the first leg through injury, but he’ll be hoping to be passed fit and continue his incredible scoring record in Europe’s elite competition.

And the good news for Real fans is their star man is back in training ahead of Wednesday’s showdown, as the club revealed via Twitter:

Ronaldo netted a superb hat-trick in the quarter-final second leg against Wolfsburg to give Real a 3-2 aggregate win, and he commented on how special an occasion it was for the club.

"It was one of the most important and special nights of my career, we needed three goals and I scored three," he said. "It was the perfect night; not only because of my goals, but everything, the team played really well and the fans played an important role. It was a magical moment."

Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

Ronaldo will be hoping to add a third Champions League winners' medal to his collection this year, as his love affair with the competition gets ever stronger.

The second of his Champions League triumphs came in Lisbon in 2014 after an enthralling final against neighbours Atletico Madrid, and he looked back on the evening fondly: “Winning the Champions League with Real Madrid was a beautiful feeling. The Champions League is always special, every game feels like my first—to win it in Lisbon, in my home country, made it even more unique.”

Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

Finding a way to victory in the final in Milan would be just as special for the 31-year-old, who still has plenty of years left at the top level to add to his personal silverware collection.

And with Zidane at the helm bringing the best out of Real’s Galacticos, Champions League success looks a near certainty.