Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo says the locker room is a happy place under Zinedine Zidane.

Real thrashed Sporting Gijon 5-1 on Sunday.

Ronaldo said: "We are improving. We had a strong week of work and you can see the results on the pitch. We had a great first half, scoring five goals, and we continue to move in the right direction.

"We have to carry on like that. We still have all of the second half of the season ahead but we are doing well. We are doing increasingly well up front and that is how we want to reach the end of the season, in La Liga as well as in the Champions League. We are happy with how things are going.

"The decision to change manager is made by the president. It is our role to play and do our best, regardless of the manager. We just need to work and be prepared. The side is enthusiastic about Zidane. He has different ideas, he sees football in a different way than Benítez and we have to keep working hard to try and win all of the remaining games.

“I think that the fans are happy at the moment. Sometimes they are and sometimes they are not. That has always been the case. They enjoy the goals and do so less when we don't play well and don't do things well, just like any fans."