Zidane: Mo way I’d swap star man Cristiano for red-hot Salah

REAL MADRID boss Zinedine Zidane insists he wouldn’t swap Cristiano Ronaldo for Liverpool ace Mohamed Salah.

The duo have each bagged 44 goals in all competitions this season and have inspired their side to the Champions League Final.

Salah’s star is on the rise at the age of 25 while many believe 33-year-old Ronaldo is heading into decline.

But when asked if he would rather have Salah, a player Real have been linked with, Zidane said: “No, I have Cristiano and I talk about my own players.

“Cristiano is the utmost, he’s the best. It’s better to have Cristiano with you as he proves that every year.

“Some players cannot handle pressure. For him, it’s the other way round. The more pressure you give him, the more you criticise him, the better he plays.”

Zidane fears Liverpool’s players will be ready to “die” on the pitch in Kiev on Saturday – but claims they will never match Real’s hunger for glory.

The Frenchman said: “How can anyone say that Liverpool have more hunger than us? We have the chance to win it for a third time in a row. What this club has is a desire to lift this trophy.

“A lot of their players have not played a final but so what? They are going to go out to die on that pitch to win the game and we have to be ready for that.

“The fact that we have more experience counts for nothing. They have not won it for 11 years and we won it last year, it doesn’t matter. Both teams want to win.”