Zidane: "Hot and cold balls? We know they don't exist now..."
Zinedine Zidane discussed Friday's Champions League draw as he looked ahead to Real Madrid's weekend LaLiga clash at Athletic Club. nBarcelona-Real Madrid live
Real Madrid head coach Zinedine Zidane spoke to the media on the eve of the LaLiga leaders' week 28 clash away to Athletic Club on Saturday (16:15 CET).
As well as discussing the trip to Bilbao, he gave his thoughts on Real's Champions League pairing with a Bayern Munich team led by ex-Blancos boss Carlo Ancelotti.
Here's what Zidane had to say:
Quarter-final draw with Bayern: "There are no easy games at this stage. They're a tough draw, a really good team, but it's what we've been given."
Hot and cold balls: "It makes me laugh; enough about hot and cold balls. We know they don't exist now..."
Bayern: "They won't be afraid of us either. They've got a good side who are going well. It'll be a special tie for both clubs and for fans of football."
Master versus pupil: "That's true. I worked with him as his assistant [in 2013/14]. He's a great guy and we know what he achieved here."
"Coming up against Carlo Ancelotti will be very special"
Ancelotti: "Coming up against Carlo will be very special. I learned a lot by his side. He's a coach who achieved big things at Real. I'm happy to be going up against him; it'll be a fantastic tie."
Box-office quarter-final: "I live for these moments. When I was a player, I preferred these types of ties. I'm excited by these kinds of ties."
LaLiga the immediate focus: "We have to forget about the Champions League for now, because right now it's about the league. We have a tough, really important game [against Athletic] that'll have a major bearing come the end of the season."
As good as champions with win? "I don't know about it being a title-winning victory; what I do know is that they're three very valuable points for us."
Tough trip: "Athletic haven't lost [at San Mamés] since their defeat to Barcelona [in August]. We know it'll be a tough game, one of the most difficult that we have ahead of us. The ground will be a cauldron."
Will the BBC start at San Mamés? "You'll see tomorrow [Saturday]. We're ready and that's the most important thing."
Title destiny in Real's hands: "We'll be under pressure right to the end. If we can repeat what we did last year [winning their last 12 LaLiga games], then perfect. It's in our hands and we'll see what we can do game by game."
Signing Kylian Mbappé: "He almost joined Real Madrid and in the end he went to Monaco. I can't talk about that. What we do know is that he's a terrific player and what he's doing at his age is fantastic. [But] what we do in tomorrow's game is what's most important to me."
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