Zinedine Zidane spoke with Fifa.com in a deep interview about his feelings in the first months as Real Madrid manager. The French coach talked about the success with Los Blancos and the difference between being a player or a manager in a great club.
Zidane analyzed how he was very successful in a very short time: “I wished it. When you are at Real Madrid they expect you to the the maximum to win everything, so the demand is very high since my arrival. Having said that, I know that winning the Champions League in first year was extraordinary, but know we are fighting to win back-to-back titles and also to win La Liga. The titles remained in the past very quickly and we always have to win again”, the coach said.
His career as a manager is short and successful. Did Zidane expect that?: “No, because when I was a player I said to myself that I would never be a manager. After retiring, I focused in other things, although I was always inside football and close to Real Madrid. Then I realized that I wanted to be on the pitch. So, I started to get ready to be a coach. Now it’s the thing I like the most!”, Zidane explained.
The manager was also asked about the differences between winning as a manager or as a player: “It’s similar but not the same. The emotion is the same but I’d say that you enjoy them even more as a manager because get those victories is more difficult”. According to Zidane it’s more difficult to be a coach: “The best sample about this is that, as a coach, you spend more hours a day to football”, he said.
Zidane spoke about the step forward of managing Real Madrid: “When I was chosen to be the manager I knew that the task was going to be very difficult. I was Castilla coach but I knew pretty well that I was going into a very different dimension. But I felt ready because I knew the club. After 15 years in the club I knew what was the meaning of the dressing room and the club”, Zidane commented.
Finally, Zizou spoke about the hard word: “It’s what I like the most! This is the best advice I received in my career. Beyond the talent, you have always to be ready to work. Without work you can’t do nothing”, Zidane finished.
