Tag: Zinedine Zidane

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ZINEDINE ZIDANE RESIGNS AS REAL MADRID COACH

Zinedine Zidane has resigned as Real Madrid manager with immediate effect, according to media reports, just days after the club were beaten to the La Liga title by Atletico Madrid. The Frenchman’s reported departure comes at the end of a disappointing campaign for the 13-time European champions, who also lost to Chelsea in the Champions League semi-finals as they failed to win a trophy for the first time in 11 seasons.

Italian football journalist Fabrizio Romano broke what he called “exclusive” news in a tweet which was picked up by Spanish sports outlets including Madrid sports dailies Marca and AS, and the radio station Cadena Ser.

An official announcement of his departure, said Romano, would be made “in the next hours/days”.

Only 10 days ago Zidane, who has a contract until 2022, denied media speculation that he had already told his players that he would be leaving at the end of the season.

“How am I going to tell my players that I am going now? It’s a lie,” he said after a 1-0 win at Athletic Bilbao.

“I focus on this season. There is a game left and we are going to give everything. I only care what happens in this finale.”

But, perhaps tellingly, he added: “The rest, we will see at the end of the season.”

If confirmed, it marks the end of Zidane’s second spell in charge of the Spanish giants.

The 1998 World Cup winner first took the helm in January 2016 and guided Real to the 2017 La Liga title and an unprecedented hat-trick of Champions League titles before abruptly quitting on May 31, 2018.

He returned in 2019, winning a second La Liga crown in 2020 and the Spanish Super Cup.

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ZINEDINE ZIDANE INSISTS REAL MADRID STILL IN TITLE RACE AFTER GOALESS DRAW WITH BETIS

Zinedine Zidane insisted Real Madrid’s LaLiga title hopes were not over after a damaging goalless home draw with Real Betis.

Real are two points behind city neighbours Atletico with five games left to play.

Atletico have a game in hand, away to Athletic Bilbao on Sunday, while Barcelona – who have played two games fewer than Real – would draw level with them by winning at Villarreal.

“The league is five games to go, that’s still a lot,” Real boss Zidane said at his post-match press conference.

“We lost two points, but we’re going to keep fighting.

“Defensively we were good, but offensively we lacked a lot and were not very fine at the top.

“The league did not end today. The league remains, the others have to play.”

Real were without Ferland Mendy and Toni Kroos ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League semi-final first-leg tie with Chelsea.

But Belgium forward Eden Hazard made a cameo appearance in the final 15 minutes to mark his return from six weeks out injured.

“It has given good feelings,” Zidane said of Hazard’s return. “I am happy.

“He is one that is going to contribute, we are going to take advantage of that until the end of the season.

“The intention is that Mendy and Kroos return (for Chelsea), but we have to see.

“We have to recover as Tuesday is going to be the most difficult of the season.”

Betis midfielder Guido Rodriguez was satisfied with a fifth successive draw, which leaves the Andalusians in sixth place and clinging on to a Europa League spot.

“We’ve had quite a few draws not but these games are always very difficult,” Rodriguez told LaLiga TV.

“It’s important that we keep moving on and battling to finish in the Europa League places.

“They didn’t create any chances in the first half, the game opened up a bit more in the second half.

“We’ve had three games this week and the players have put in a lot of effort.”

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AHEAD UCL QUARTER FINAL CLASH: ZINEDINE ZIDANE PRAISES LIVERPOOL AS A COMPLETE TEAM

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane has praised Liverpool as “a complete team” ahead of their Champions League quarterfinal first leg but said he believes critics were too hasty to write off Madrid’s chances of winning silverware this year.

Both teams have struggled for consistency at times this season, but Real Madrid are now just three points behind leaders Atletico Madrid in La Liga, while Liverpool are two points off the Premier League top four.

“They’re a complete team,” Zidane said at a news conference on Monday. “Some people will mention the three forwards, and it’s true that they’re really good, but I think they’re a strong, solid unit. I’d rather focus on the team. After that, yes, the three forwards are really efficient. We’ll have to be alert.”

Zidane’s job looked to be under threat earlier in the campaign, with Madrid on the brink of being knocked out of the Champions League group stage for the first time.

The team lost their opening European fixture 3-2 at home to Shakhtar Donetsk, then drew 2-2 with Borussia Monchengladbach, before back-to-back wins over Inter Milan were followed by another defeat 2-0 to Shakhtar.

There was more pressure on Zidane in January, when Madrid were knocked out of the Spanish Supercopa by Athletic Bilbao and the Copa del Rey by third-tier Alcoyano, and lost at home to Levante in La Liga.

“Yes, I think so,” Zidane said, when asked if his team had been written off prematurely. “I believe in my team and I have confidence in them, I know what they can do. But we can’t change that… The good thing with this team, this club’s history, is that we never give up on things. Where there’s life, there’s hope, and we’re alive in two competitions.”

Real Madrid and Liverpool last met in the 2018 Champions League final in Kiev, when a Gareth Bale brace gave Madrid a 3-1 victory over Jurgen Klopp’s team.

Since then, Liverpool have gone on to win the competition in Madrid in 2019 and ended a 30-year wait for the Premier League title a year later.

“Since the final we played, they’ve won the Champions League, and we lost Cristiano [Ronaldo],” defender Nacho Fernandez said. “But I don’t think there’s much difference between us. We’re competitive, we’ve won a lot of trophies, we’re in great form and we have a great squad.”

Zidane wouldn’t confirm if Eden Hazard would be available for Tuesday’s match at the Alfredo di Stefano stadium, after the forward took part in training on Monday.

Meanwhile, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said that his side were not looking to see revenge for the 2018 final defeat

“We are not on a revenge tour here,” he told a news conference on Monday. “I don’t believe too much in revenge, but it would be nice to get through.

“Madrid are outstanding — sometimes you meet opponents again. It is nothing to do with the Premier League season either.

“I cannot get that feeling back, that anger or whatever, so I don’t even try. If we are better than Real Madrid or score more goals, then we can go to the next round.

“We are still in the fight for the Champions League spots. We have to chase the teams ahead of us, we have to chase Real Madrid tomorrow, who are in a really good moment.

“Very experienced. If someone knows how to win the Champions League, it is Real Madrid.”

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REAL MADRID MANAGER, ZINEDINE ZIDANE TESTS POSITIVE FOR CORONA VIRUS.

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane has tested positive for COVID-19 , the Spanish club announced on Friday.

The positive test comes a day before Madrid travel to Alaves in LaLiga seeking to bounce back from an embarrassing midweek Copa del Rey exit.

Real Madrid C.F. report that our coach Zinedine Zidane has tested positive for COVID-19 ,” the club said in a statement.

Zidane already had to self-isolate this month after coming into contact with a person infected with the virus.

He tested negative at the time and was able to oversee the team.

After successive defeats in the Spanish Super Cup and Copa del Rey, the second a shock loss to third-tier Alcoyano, Zidane is again under pressure as Real Madrid try to reignite their LaLiga title challenge away to Alaves.

Zidane’s side are playing catch-up to Atletico Madrid after draws against struggling Elche and Osasuna, two of the league’s bottom three, in recent weeks.

Alaves beat Madrid 2-1 in the capital in late November but have won just once in eight matches since, their slide into a relegation scrap costing coach Pablo Machin his job last week with former Spain international Abelardo Fernandez returning to take charge.

Real assistant coach David Bettoni said that Zidane was “fine” after his positive test, although “sad” not to be among the players.

“I spoke with the coach this morning and he is fine,” said Bettoni.

“He was a little sad this morning not to be with us. He will not physically be with us, but we all know that he will be with us supporting.

“He will not be with us physically during tomorrow’s game, but he will be with us to support the players, give his energy and help everyone.”

Bettoni also played down talk of Zidane’s future after their Copa del Rey embarrassment.

“You know the boss, he likes football, it’s his passion. He is fortunate to coach this great club. In football it is a complicated time, but he is in good spirits,” said Bettoni.

“I see him every morning with a smile, with joy, wanting to train. We want to carry on, we are fortunate to train at this club, so we enjoy them every day with our players.

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I’M NOT QUITTING: ZIDANE VOWS TO REMAIN AT MADRID DESPITE RUN OF POOR FORM.

Zinedine Zidane says he wants to fight on as Real Madrid manager after a 2-0 Champions League loss to Shakhtar Donetsk left the team’s chances of qualifying for the round of 16 in serious doubt.

Second-half goals from substitutes Dentinho and Manor Solomon saw Madrid beaten for the second time by the Ukrainians, after they opened their European campaign with a 3-2 home defeat in October.

The result in Kiev put Shakhtar level on points with Madrid, with both teams nervously eyeing Tuesday’s other Group B match between Borussia Monchengladbach and Inter Milan.

The final matchday on Dec. 9 sees Madrid host group leaders Monchengladbach, and Shakhtar travel to Inter.

“No. Not at all. I won’t resign,” Zidane said in his postmatch news conference, when asked if he was considering his future. “We’ll keep going. … In the first half we were really good. I think we deserved to score first, that would have changed things. Their goals hurt us a lot.”

Madrid have now lost five of their last 10 matches in all competitions, with La Liga defeats to Cadiz, Valencia and Alaves combining with home and away Champions League losses to Shakhtar to leave Zidane under significant pressure.

“We’ve had complicated moments and we always will,” Zidane said. “We’re on a bad run of results. That’s the reality. But we have to keep going. … I think we prepared well, we played a great first half. We have one game left and we have to win and think about going through.”

Madrid now face a testing run of fixtures, as they go away to top-four contenders Sevilla in La Liga, face Monchengladbach in a must-win Champions League clash, and then face Atletico Madrid in the derby, all in a week.

“I feel strong. I’ll give everything, as always, I think the players will too,” Zidane said. “The other day [against Alaves] we didn’t deserve to win. I think today we played a good game, but that’s football. We have to keep our heads up and think about the next game. When you’re on a bad run there’s no alternative … we have to show our character and our pride.”

While Karim Benzema returned to the team Tuesday night, Madrid are still waiting for captain Sergio Ramos to recover from injury, and Eden Hazard was ruled out for three weeks Monday because of a thigh muscle problem.

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Real Madrid beat Getafe with team spirit, says Zidane

Captain Sergio Ramos converted a late penalty, sending Real four points clear of title rivals Barcelona with five games left.

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said his side used their team spirit to finally break down and beat a resolute Getafe side 1-0 at home on Thursday to inch ever closer to winning their first La Liga title for three years.

The league leaders created scant chances against their gritty neighbours but finally got the goal they craved when captain Sergio Ramos converted a late penalty, sending Real four points clear of title rivals Barcelona with five games left.

“We can be very happy today because we did an incredible job today against a side who caused us loads of problems, but we got the victory because of our team spirit,” Zidane told a virtual news conference after his side won their sixth game in a row.

“Me and the players have been suffering a lot because we have had to work so hard in all of these matches. It’s not easy to do what we are doing. You can’t achieve anything without suffering.”

Real knew victory against Getafe would give them a cushion over Barca, who drew 2-2 with Atletico Madrid on Tuesday and have dropped six points since the campaign returned after the coronavirus stoppage.

Zidane’s side, meanwhile, have been on a relentless run and defender Dani Carvajal, who earned the decisive penalty, revealed the coach had set the team the target of winning all of their matches when the campaign started up again last month.

“The coach’s message after the break was that we had 11 finals left and we had to try and pick up all 33 points. We’re on the way to doing that,” Carvajal said.

“It was clear that this was not like any other game and we had to make the most of Barca’s slip-up. Today was like a final for us and we treated it like one.

“Getafe put us under a lot of pressure but we produced a serious performance and proved we are a real team.”