Zidane signs new Real contract until 2020

REAL Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane on Wednesday confirmed that he has signed a contract extension which will keep him at the European champions until 2020.

“It’s signed,” said the French star after his side drew 2-2 with Numancia to progress to the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey 5-2 on aggregate.

After a dream start at Real, with eight trophies out of a possi bl e 1 0 , Zidane has endured a tough season with his side 16 points behind Barcelona in the La Liga title race.

And the 45-year-old cautioned: “I’m enjoying what I do every day, because that’s the way it is. I can’t imagine myself as a coach in two, three years, because things gs are not like that.

“I know how it goes, nothing more, even with h this contract it does not change hange anything.”

Blancos limp through

hrough On Wednesday, ay, Real fielded an almost lmost unrecognisable e team and struggled d into the Copa del Rey last-eight.

Zidane (pictured, ured, AFP) could afford ord to rest his supererst a r s w it h one ne eye on La Liga a and the Cham- pions Leag ue last 16 wit h a cla sh aga i nst Paris Saint-Germain Saint next month. mon

Howe v e r, t he y were wer far from c o n v i n c i n g at theirt home Bernabeu. Bern Lucas Luca Vazquez scored bot h Rea l goa ls a f ter t he 11t h and 59th minutes. m But on both b occasions, their the modest visitors fought fo back thanks to t a brace from Guillermo Gu on the stroke strok of halftime and then after 82 minutes. minu

N u m a n c i a e n d e d t h e game ga with 1 0 m e n after captain Dani Calvo was red carded i n the dying moments.

Leganes, a modest club from the Madrid suburbs, reached the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey for the first time in their 89-year existence.

Despite losing 2-1 at Villarreal, who are currently sixth in La Liga, Leganes progressed on away goals having won the first leg 1-0.

Moroccan i nt e r nat i onal Nabil El Zhar scored the crucial away goal for mid-table Leganes on the half-hour mark.

In the night’s other early second leg tie, last season’s runners-up Alaves downed third division Formentera 2-0 for a 5-1 aggregate win.

L a s t n i g h t , t h re e - t i me defending champions Barcelona were to host Celta Vigo with the sides locked at 1-1.

Barca coach Ernesto Valverde insisted that despite the h i g h - p r o f i l e c a p t u r e o f Philippe Coutinho, who can’t play for around three weeks due to a thigh injury, his team’s character will not change with the Brazilian’s arrival.

“The Barca model will stay the same,” he said on Wednesday. “The club always has the chance to go into the market to buy the great players. But at the same time, Barca will continue to nurture young players at the training centre to maintain the style and identity.

“That’s still t he case today.”