Zidane: "Isco? Spain have 8 games a year, Madrid have over 60..."
Real Madrid's coach spoke in Turin: "All of my my players have to feel as though they are important. It's how I go about coaching and it won't change”.
Zinedine Zidane spoke to the media in Turin, on Monday evening to preview tomorrow's Champions League quarter final first leg against Juventus. Apart from analyzing the game, the Real Madrid also said a few words about Isco's situation and the possibility of coaching Juve, where he spent several seasons as a player, at some point in the future: "You can never say never, but at this moment I am fully dedicated to Madrid".
Different to the 2017 final in Cardiff
What do Madrid need to do to beat Juve? “We're going to try and play a good game - something we know we can do. And we need to be prepared. And we are. This game will be completely different to our meeting 10 months ago. What happened then is in the past. We have to forget about it and think only about this tie”.
Which system has pleased you most - the rhombus or playing with wingers? “I have no preference, I like all of the different systems - playing with two wide, a rhombus, 4-3-3… I like to change the way we play and switch systems. There is no system which I like over another”.
Do you think that the players who are left on the bench for an important game like this will think you don't have any faith in them? “No, I hope they don't think that. For me, there are no first choice players or substitutes. I have 25 very good players and I am going to use all of them. There are moments when some play more than others. All of them are important and Isco is just as important as the rest. It may be different with the national team - they'll have seven or eight games a season while we have 60. When all is said and done, all of my players need to feel that they are important to the side. It's my way of coaching and it's never going to change because it's a concept which I believe in”.
Great learning experience in Turin
What did you learn during your time at Juve? “Many things - not just as a footballer but also as a person. It was the first time I had left France and it was a huge change for me. They welcomed me as one of the family. I have very fond memories of that time at Juve. But now I am on the opposite side and we are going to think soley about the game we are going to play. The 1998 final? Losing always hurts but that's football”.
Similar gameplan to the one used in Cardiff: “It's a completely different game. It's in the past. It worked out well for us then but this is not the same”.
Juve, dangerous in every department
What worries you most about Juve? “A bit of everything. They are a very complete side. What worries me is the team as a whole, in defence and in attack”.
Would you like to coach Juventus one day? “You can never say never, but right now I'm happy where I am and I am only focused on Madrid”.
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📺💪 Training under the lights in Turin ahead of tomorrow's #RMUCL quarter-final 1st leg. #APorLa13 pic.twitter.com/T3g3YRibzG
— Real Madrid C.F.🇺🇸🇬🇧 (@realmadriden) 2 April 2018