Zidane: Ronaldo would have been the star if we had played together
Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane spoke to the media ahead of the Champions League final against Juventus, but was coy on whether Bale or Isco will start.
Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane spoke to the media in Cardiff on the eve of the Champions League final against Juventus.
Zidane: Madrid aren't feeling the pressure
The Frenchman dismissed suggestions that his side could feel the pressure in the lead up to the final.
“There isn’t pressure, Real Madrid know how to live with this constant pressure. I lived with it as a player, and I’m living with it as a coach.
“They say that we’re favourites, but football isn’t like that. It’s a final and anything can happen in a football match. We’re not favourites, and neither are Juventus. It’s 50-50.”
“The important thing is to give everything… what I want, and what we all want, is to see a great final.”
Bale or Isco?
Real Madrid have been roundly praised this season for the depth of talent in their squad. The flipside of this, is that talented players will not feature in the starting XI.
“It’s the hardest thing for me in this case,” Zidane mused, “there are six players that aren’t going to pull on the shirt. The good thing is that they’re going to be on the bench… we’re all on the same boat, those who play more often, and those who play less often.”
Zidane was coy regarding which of Gareth Bale or Isco is likely to start the match.
“I’m not going to tell you who will play. They’re two players that can play together. In the end, anything can happen. When I look at the squad, the good thing is that they’re ready to play. Not just mentally, but above all, physically.”
Ronaldo would have outshone Zidane
The talk in the press room turned to Real Madrid’s talisman Cristiano Ronaldo, and what he brings to the team, apart from his goal haul.
“Ultimately, he’s a good person… What I must stress is his professionalism. Like I have said, he wants more. Even during training, he wants to win. He brings to the team that will to win. He has something inside him, he’s a born leader.”
Zidane was asked who would have been the star, if he and Ronaldo had played in the same Madrid side.
“Cristiano Ronaldo, for sure, because he scores the goals.”
Ronaldo sees himself as more than just a poacher, stating on the eve of the final that 'I will never be a striker'.
Read what Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri had to say in his pre-match press conference.
Read what Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos had to say in his pre-match press conference.
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