Real begin crunch month
MADRID. - Zinedine Zidane, whose Real Madrid side go to Levante this weekend, will soon find out if he was right to refuse to add to his squad in the January transfer window.
There were no new arrivals at the Santiago Bernabeu, with a move for the Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga the most notable transfer that didn’t happen in the Spanish La Liga.
Kepa signed a new long-term contract in Bilbao after Zidane insisted that he did “not need a goalkeeper”. Instead he will stick with Keylor Navas, who faces his former club today.
Zidane has defended the club’s decision not to sign anyone in January, saying he has “blind trust” in his squad as they attempt to claw back a 19-point deficit to Barcelona at the top of La Liga.
The Spanish and European champions were linked by Spanish media with a move for Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper Arrizabalaga during the winter window.
Zidane, however, said throughout January that he did not want any more signings as he had confidence in the group of players that became the first team to win back-toback Champions League titles last season.
“We’re together, even if it’s a difficult moment. I’ve always seen the players are focused when we have hard times,” Zidane told a news conference.
“I have faith in my squad, I have blind trust in them - nothing else. That’s how I live it and I have confidence in them. That’s what I want to show; and the squad returns the feeling in terms of work, fight and the attitude that this isn’t over.”
There was pressure on Real to enter the transfer market given their domestic slump. On top of their woeful league form, they were eliminated from the King’s Cup at the hands of Leganes and face the daunting prospect of facing in-form Paris St Germain in the last 16 of the Champions League.
Zidane’s long-term future could hinge on European success, but the Frenchman says he is focused on the immediate tasks at hand. He went as far as to suggest his side are still in the title race as they prepare to visit Levante on Saturday.
Eibar v Sevilla (2pm); Real Betis v Villarreal (5:15pm); Deportivo Alavés v Celta Vigo (7:30pm); Levante v Real Madrid(9:45pm).
Getafe v Leganés (1pm); Espanyol v Barcelona (5:15pm); Girona v Athletic Club (7:30pm); Atlético Madrid v Valencia (9:45pm). Monday: Las Palmas v Málaga (10pm). AFP.