Zinedine Zidane: Real Madrid coach's future rests on Champions League

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Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane has won eight major trophies as Real Madrid coach

Zinedine Zidane says he is enduring his "worst moment" as Real Madrid coach and his future at the club rests on their progress in the Champions League.

Zidane's Real have won back-to-back European titles, but are 19 points adrift of La Liga leaders Barcelona and were knocked out of the Copa del Rey by Leganes on Wednesday at the Bernabeu.

Real, who finished second in the group to Tottenham, face Paris St-Germain in the Champions League last-16.

"It's a fiasco," said the Frenchman.

"My worst moment as a coach. I don't regret anything I did in the game, though. I take responsibility for what I do."

The European champions led 1-0 from the quarter-final first leg, but lost 2-1 at home to go out on away goals.

"To start this tie in the manner we did it's really bad," added Zidane. "For that I'm angry. I don't understand what's going on."

La Liga table

Zidane has won eight major trophies since he took charge in January 2016, with Real enjoying a record 40-game unbeaten run in all competitions last season.

However, when asked if his future at the club depended on the Champions League tie with the French league leaders on 14 February, the 45-year-old said: "Yes, that's clear.

"I'm responsible for this, I'm the boss. I have to find the solutions. We've found some of them but not consistently enough. I need to take responsibility and I'll always fight."

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193 comments

  • Comment posted by Lron2408, at 09:50 25 Jan 2018

    Lets be honest last season we thought Barca were in big trouble going forward and Real Madrid would likely dominate for seasons to come.

    Biggest hangover season of all time.

    Nice to see those awful Madrid fans suffer a tad!

  • Comment posted by Mordor Tourism Board, at 10:04 25 Jan 2018

    Seemed risky to rest Bale and Ronaldo when the league is surely already lost.

    Winning this cup would have added some silverware and provided some confidence going forward.

    Looks like a barren trophy cabinet this year and there's an ageing squad in need of a refresh.

  • Comment posted by johnffc23, at 09:57 25 Jan 2018

    Zidane for the Scotland job?

  • Comment posted by iama2p, at 09:56 25 Jan 2018

    Zidane is right and if they crash out to PSG, he'll be shown the door.

    I would rather they stick by him and look to identify weaknesses, rebuild and show some continuity, but that just isn't going to happen at Real Madrid. They have as much of a sacking culture as Watford, possibly even more!

  • Comment posted by SamB, at 09:52 25 Jan 2018

    @2, sorry mate but I think there is far more interest from English football fans in the likes of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich than there is in the likes of Rotherham and Scunthorpe...

  • Comment posted by SteveNeath, at 09:59 25 Jan 2018

    @5 There were far worse teams before the galacticos era

    Zidane is surely going to be sacked sooner than later, if they lose to PSG he’ll immediately be gone.
    In the summer, expect a spending spree to dwarf anything we’ve seen before off them or by any English team.

  • Comment posted by Emile Heskey for England Captain, at 09:55 25 Jan 2018

    Madrid are having a similar season to Man United. Not doing that badly, but a few results that stand out as unacceptable given the amount of money they've spent.

    Barca are similar to Man City - running away with the title - so it's not fair to judge them based on another team's success.

    Also, whilst Ronaldo is an incredible player...it's nice to see his ego take a bit of a bashing!

  • Comment posted by U14070736, at 10:41 25 Jan 2018

    The fact that we are talking about his uncertain future after winning 8 trophies since Jan 2016 simply underlines the lunacy of present day football. Add in the obscene transfer fees in the quest for success and it is apparent that the lunatics are in charge of the asylum

  • Comment posted by RayOz20, at 12:35 25 Jan 2018

    Hopefully, once they're knocked out of Champions League, they'll also get pipped for 4th in La Liga, so we can watch UEFA frantically running around, rewriting the rules, so they can still qualify for next season!

  • Comment posted by CDawg, at 09:46 25 Jan 2018

    Good.

    Most disrespectful fan base on the planet. Don't realize what they have (had)

  • Comment posted by U16295858, at 11:28 25 Jan 2018

    Sean Dyche to Real, there you heard it here first. (And probably last too)

  • Comment posted by Paul, at 13:06 25 Jan 2018

    The Bad news for RM is that Hodgson, Pardew,Allardyce,Moyes and Lambert are all currently employed. So give it another couple of months.

  • Comment posted by james murphy, at 10:28 25 Jan 2018

    Like many in the game today, Zidane's an elitist coach - only ever managed top players. My granny could've won stuff with the teams he's had. Brian Clough he ain't.

  • Comment posted by -ave it, at 13:13 25 Jan 2018

    Seeing as there is no one to target in BBC Sports weekly campaign to get a manager sacked, they had to make do with someone from Spanish leagues.

  • Comment posted by Jukeboxjunkie, at 11:53 25 Jan 2018

    It's refreshing to hear a manager be so candid and honest, instead of rolling out the usual clichés and excuses (looking at you Wenger, Mourinho et al)

  • Comment posted by Funky Chunky Monkey, at 10:40 25 Jan 2018

    If your club has outstanding talent, then watch out this summer, Madrid will be rebuilding for next season, and probably without ZZ.

  • Comment posted by CDawg, at 09:53 25 Jan 2018

    @6

    That's genuinely sad.

  • Comment posted by Dave Angels Moonlight Shadow, at 12:53 25 Jan 2018

    RM are a shocking club who've forever unsettled other clubs by bending the rules such as using Marca as a vehicle to tap up players.. so it's poetic justice that this team is now held to ransom by ageing players like Ronaldo who is stopping the club progressing. A taste of your own medicine Perez, Salud!

  • Comment posted by Unitedforever89, at 10:46 25 Jan 2018

    31. Posted by belfastboy on
    15 minutes ago
    zidane 3 champions league wins in 4 years. yea terrible manager.

    -----

    I absoutely cannot stand Real Madrid but the number of Football fans who seem incapable of remembering what happened in the last few seasons is astounding

  • Comment posted by rjhsteel, at 12:42 25 Jan 2018

    Madrid fans are the worst i know. Boo Ronaldo, their best player for years and record goalscorer when he has 1 poor game.....why would you want to play for fans like that?

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