- Title: Real concentrating on Clasico, not protests - Zidane
- Date: 17th December 2019
- Summary: MADRID, SPAIN (DECEMBER 17, 2019) (REUTERS) REAL MADRID PLAYERS TRAINING GOALKEEPER THIBAUT COURTOIS KICKING THE BALL AND STANDING NEXT TO FORWARD GARETH BALE DEFENDER RAPHAEL VARANE DURING KEEP THE BALL DRILL MIDFIELDER FEDERICO VALVERDE TRAINING FORWARD JAMES RODRIGUEZ ARRIVING AT TRAINING SESSION MIDFIELDER LUKA MODRIC TRAINING DEFENDER SERGIO RAMOS TRAINING BALE CHASING THE BALL DURING RONDO MIDFIELDER TONI KROOS TRAINING COACH ZINEDINE ZIDANE ARRIVING AT TRAINING SESSION STRIKER KARIM BENZEMA AT SESSION ZIDANE LOOKING AT PLAYERS ZIDANE DRIBBLING THE BALL ZIDANE ARRIVING AT NEWS CONFERENCE ROOM NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) REAL MADRID COACH ZINEDINE ZIDANE, SAYING: " Yes (we will enjoy the game) no matter what happens. At the end of the day it is a football match. We start 11 against 11, there might be changes but the important thing is this. As you were saying before we know who are we facing, it is a very good team and they have been proving for some time. We also know the player they have, Messi but we also have our weapons. What I want to see and what we want to do is a good football match against Barcelona who are also doing great." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) REAL MADRID COACH ZINEDINE ZIDANE, SAYING: " What we have to do is to put our energy on the pitch and think that the game is going to be played. That is the only way to prepare for the match. The rest, things from outside (the Camp Nou), we could expend one week talking about everything that is going on. We will put out energy only on the pitch and that is it." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) REAL MADRID COACH ZINEDINE ZIDANE, SAYING: " Rules are rules. They (police) said that we have to go together so we will go together and that is it. There is nothing else to be explained. The most important thing is that we play the game and that is it." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (French) REAL MADRID COACH ZINEDINE ZIDANE, SAYING: " I simply hope that we are going to have a huge football game. Because at the end of the day what matters most it's not what will happen, it is not the result, it is what we will put into it, what we will do during the 90 minutes that will bring us joy." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS ZIDANE LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE ROOM
- Embargoed: 31st December 2019 12:03
- Keywords: Barcelona Catalonia independence El Clasico La Liga Real Madrid Tsunami Democratic Zidane Zindedine Zidane soccer
- Location: MADRID, SPAIN
- City: MADRID, SPAIN
- Country: Spain
- Topics: Soccer,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA001BAD7CJJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said on Tuesday (December 17) his team will enjoy the Clasico against old foes Barcelona regardless of what happens around the Camp Nou stadium during Wednesday's (December 18) match.
Two months after Spain's biggest soccer match was postponed due to political unrest the teams are neck and neck in the title race but the match could be overshadowed by fresh protests in the Catalan capital.
Champions Barcelona lead the standings on goal difference only after 16 games.
The Mediterranean city is far calmer than in the aftermath of long jail sentencing to nine separatist leaders in October which unleashed waves of sometimes violent protests and saw the Oct. 26 game called off at the request of the league's organising body over security concerns.
But secretive Catalan protest group Democratic Tsunami has called supporters of the northeastern region's independence to gather in several areas surrounding the stadium four hours ahead of the game's kickoff.
The group, which organised mass protests at Barcelona airport in October and blocked a major highway, said on its social media accounts that more than 25,000 people have confirmed they would take part in Wednesday's protests.
In the news conference previewing the match Zidane preferred not to comment on the events off the pitch.
Tsunami Democratic said it does not wish to blockade or halt the match, stressing that the protests are part of its effort to call for dialogue between Spanish and Catalan authorities on the region's independence drive.
Real Madrid will be without midfielder Eden Hazard who is recovering from an injury picked up during their Champions League game against PSG last month.
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