There is a lot of ‘fatigue’, Zidane says on Real job
Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane gave the clearest hint yet that he has already decided to resign as coach at the end of the season.
Zidane had an outstanding first 18 months in the job, winning back to back Champions Leagues, as well as the 201617 La Liga title, with the Frenchman winning The Best FIFA Men’s Coach of the Year award for 2017 and being widely hailed as the perfect man for the Bernabeu bench, ESPN FC reported.
However, Los Blancos’ current campaign has seen Madrid fall 17 points adrift of runaway La Liga leaders Barcelona, and brought an embarrassing Copa del Rey exit to Leganes, leading to new criticism of Zidane’s tactical nous and man-management skills.
The mood around the Bernabeu was lifted hugely by Wednesday’s 3-1 win over Paris Saint-germain in the first leg of their Champions League round-of-16 tie, but Zidane told a news conference on Saturday that the Madrid job was exhausting and he could not look further than this summer.
“[In football management] there is a lot of fatigue, even more in Real Madrid,” Zidane said.
“Of course a moment can come when there are changes, but for all of us, not just the coach. Not yet, but it will happen for sure.
“For me the most important thing is still the day to day work, I want to finish this season, there are things to play for – that is all that interests me. I do not want to talk about anything else.”
Zidane was speaking ahead of today’s La Liga trip to Real Betis, where Gareth Bale is expected to return to the team having surprisingly been left on the bench for the huge clash with PSG midweek.
Zidane said that decision to start Isco in midfield for the season’s biggest game so far had been a tactical one based on what would work best against the opposition on the night.
“These are decisions you have to make,” Zidane said. “I want to have all the players ready, and the other day they were. I wanted to play a diamond [in midfield] as it seemed the best way to play against PSG. Now we have many games coming up, and I will count on all the players.”
Madrid remains in fourth place in La Liga and now faces into five easier on paper domestic games in three weeks – against Betis, Leganes, Alaves, Espanyol and Getafe – before the Champions League second leg in Paris on March 6.