- Title: Zidane distracted by speculation about Real Madrid future
- Date: 21st October 2019
- Summary: ISTANBUL, TURKEY (OCTOBER 21, 2019) (REUTERS) REAL MADRID COACH ZINEDINE ZIDANE WALKING INTO NEWS CONFERENCE NEWS CONFERENCE BEGINNING (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) REAL MADRID COACH ZINEDINE ZIDANE, SAYING: "Well yes. It has always been like this, I've been here 18 years. The same thing used to happen to me as a player. The pressure is always going to be there, that's where we are. But for me and the players the thing to do is to prepare for the match. We are familiar with the situation but it won't change a thing. What happens tomorrow, won't change a thing. There are a lot of matches left and we are going to try until the end. But firstly we will try to win the 3 points with tomorrow's match, that's what we are here for. But as for the rest, always talking about the pressure and that they might change the coach, well we can't change that." PHOTOGRAPHERS TAKING PICTURES (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) REAL MADRID COACH ZINEDINE ZIDANE, SAYING: "I don't know. You can't ask me. I always want to be here. You can't ask me that. You are asking about the situation and we all know the situation. You'll have to ask someone else." JOURNALISTS AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) REAL MADRID COACH ZINEDINE ZIDANE, SAYING: "That's just the way it is. I'm not going to discuss it, I always say that everyone can have their own opinion. What I try to do... as I told you it's been 18 years. I've lived this as a player and let's say it's a total of 25 years. I also kind of like it, you know when at times things get a bit complicated, a bit difficult but we have to take this forward. It's not just about when everything is very beautiful and you win. At the moment things are a bit complicated but you have to bear it and find a way to confront it, with a lot of personality. That's what we will try and do tomorrow." ZIDANE LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE CAMERAMAN FILMING REAL MADRID DEFENDER SERGIO RAMOS WALKING IN TO NEWS CONFERENCE NEWS CONFERENCE SET TO BEGIN PHOTOGRAPHERS TAKING PICTURES (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) REAL MADRID DEFENDER SERGIO RAMOS, SAYING: "I'm simply trying to answer your question. Everyone sees irony in their own way. It's true that in football the way we measure certain players or trainers is different. Don't put names in my mouth that I haven't said. But yes it's true that it would be easy for me to say that Zizou will be our coach until the end of the season and there would never be no speculations about whether the trainer will continue or not. But in football it's about the results and in the end coaches depend on that. Every time we draw or lose a match to talk about the coach is awkward for the club, awkward for the trainer and awkward for the players. I understand that for the press anything that's news is always more interesting but from our perspective to speak about coaches that could step back into Real Madrid happens every day and is really exhausting. In Madrid we already know it, it depends on the results and all the coaches know that. We shall see." CLOSE OF PHOTOGRAPHER TAKING PICTURES (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) REAL MADRID DEFENDER SERGIO RAMOS, SAYING: "We are only thinking of winning. I'm reiterating the same thing, because we are not thinking if Zizou will continue or not continue. Our biggest priority is to think about tomorrow's match and then we will see. To talk about whether the coach leaves or doesn't leave, we have time. I hope we don't have to talk about it anymore, that the results will be good and Zizou can continue to triumph like he has done all along. After all he's done for Madrid I think he deserves some respect and we don't need to talk about the coach every single time we draw in a match." CLOSE OF PHOTOGRAPHER TAKING PICTURES RAMOS LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE VARIOUS OF REAL MADRID PLAYERS TRAINING REAL STRIKER KARIM BENZEMA IN TRAINING MORE OF TRAINING IN PROGRESS MIDFIELDER TONI KROOS STANDING MORE OF TRAINING PLAYERS IN CIRCLE ZIDANE WATCHING PLAYERS JOGGING RAMOS RUNNING WITH AND THEN PASSING BALL KROOS WITH BALL JAMES RODRIGUEZ (RIGHT), BENZEMA, CASEMIRO AND VINICIUS JUNIOR STANDING IN CIRCLE RAMOS IN CIRCLE MORE OF PLAYERS IN CIRCLE
- Embargoed: 4th November 2019 18:30
- Keywords: Champions League Real Madrid Zinedine Zidane Galatasaray
- Location: ISTANBUL, TURKEY
- City: ISTANBUL, TURKEY
- Country: Turkey
- Topics: Soccer,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA001B21J03J
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Zinedine Zidane has admitted that constant speculation about his future as Real Madrid coach has been bothering him in the build up to Tuesday's (October 22) Champions League Group A game against Galatasaray.
Real landed in Istanbul reeling from a shock 1-0 defeat to Real Mallorca, their first loss in La Liga this season which allowed Barcelona to take over at the top of the standings.
Just as when his side were humbled 3-0 by Paris St Germain in the Champions League last month, the latest domestic defeat has led to suggestions in the Spanish media that Zidane's job is at risk and Jose Mourinho could be in line to replace him.
Zidane, who has won three Champions League titles as Real coach, was surprisingly candid at a news conference on Monday (October 21), admitting his job could be in the balance, but that he chooses to embrace adversity and pressure to show character.
The 13-times European champions are bottom of Group A with one point and defeat against Galatasaray would leave their hopes of remaining in the competition hanging in the balance.
Real captain Sergio Ramos said the players were also getting fed up of the uncertainty about Zidane's position.
The French coach returned to the club in March, 10 months after resigning from the role, after successors Julen Lopetegui and Santiago Solari were sacked.
Real are still without injured pair Gareth Bale and Luka Modric but Toni Kroos has returned.
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