\'I didn\'t give my son his debut\, but to a player of the squad\' - Zidane

Broadcasters: PART NO RESALES Digital: PART NO RESALES **~ SHOWS: MADRID, SPAIN (MARCH 31, 2019) (LA LIGA / MEDIAPRO - NO RESALES) 1.

(SOUNDBITE) (French) ZINEDINE ZIDANE SAYING: "When I let Luca start, I didn't give my son his debut, I gave his debut to a player from the Real Madrid squad.

Even though he is my son, I see him as another player of this team and that's all." MADRID, SPAIN (MARCH 31, 2019) (REUTERS PICTURES - ACCESS ALL) (MUTE) 2.

LUCA ZIDANE BEFORE THE MATCH 3.

LUCA ZIDANE REACTION AFTER CONCEDING THE OPENING GOAL OF THE MATCH MADRID, SPAIN (MARCH 31, 2019) (LA LIGA / MEDIAPRO - NO RESALES) 4.

(SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ZINEDINE ZIDANE SAYING: "I am happy for him (Luca), for his debut here with a victory.

Luca is the third goalkeeper, Thibault (Courtois) wasn't feeling well and I wanted to rest Keylor after playing with the National team and I gave Luca his debut today and I think it went well." STORY: Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane's son Luca made his first appearance for the team in over 10 months after he was recalled to the side for Sunday's La Liga clash at home to Huesca, which Real won 3-2.

Luca Zidane, 20, is the number one goalkeeper for Madrid's reserve side Castilla and he had not featured for the first team since making his debut in a 2-2 draw against Villarreal on the final day of last season.

His second game for the club got off to a difficult start as he was forced to pick the ball out of the net in the third minute after being beaten by a thumping drive by Cucho Hernandez.

But he showed impressive distribution skills later in the half, starting a promising attack with a long kick out of his hands which landed at the feet of Brahim Diaz just outside Huesca's area.

Madrid levelled through Isco then Dani Ceballos gave them the lead but Luca Zidane was beaten again by La Liga's basement club later in the second half when Xabier Etxeita headed home.

Karim Benzema snatched all three points for the deposed European champions with a magnificent curling strike in the 89th minute.

Luca was completely discarded by his father's successor Julen Lopetegui, who did not include him in the matchday squad for a single game.

He also failed to play any first team football under Real's next coach Santiago Solari - although he was named on the substitutes bench for four games in January, when Thibaut Courtois and then Keylor Navas were out injured.

Courtois had picked up a thigh injury on international duty with Belgium and with little riding on the game for Madrid, who are effectively out of the title race, Zidane opted to pick his son ahead of Navas, who had been in action for Costa Rica.

"Well, I don't see it as me giving a debut to my son, I see it more as giving a debut to a player of the squad," Zidane told a press conference after the match.

(Production: Mike Brock)