Zidane: I’ll Always Play With The BBC

FORMER Real Madrid defender Aitor Karanka does not think Zinedine Zidane’s legendary status guarantees success at the Bernabeu after becoming the club’s new manager this week.

“Benitez was up against it right from the off”, Toshack added.

“Good football has always been important at this place, and I am going to continue that”.

“Football with a personal touch, with attacking play, is what I’ll aim for”, the France great said at a news conference on Tuesday, a day after replacing the fired Rafa Benitez as Madrid coach. But I am motivated, excited, and that is going to ensure that things go well.

They were thrown out of the Copa del Rey for fielding an ineligible player in a tie against Cadiz but are through to the last 16 of the Champions League, where they will face Roma.

But Zidane, who joined Madrid In 2001 for a then world record €75million, brushed those aside.

Around 6,000 fans watched Zidane take first-team training on Tuesday and his first game as manager will be against Deportivo La Coruna at the Bernabeu on Saturday.

Benitez expressed no bitterness in his parting statement: “Now, at the end of my time as first-team coach of Real Madrid, I would like to use this article to say goodbye to everyone at every level of the club”.

“He did a good job and I want to wish him luck for the future”, Zidane said about Rafael Benitez, who was sacked by the club following a 2-2 draw against Valencia in La Liga on Sunday. Zidane is the 11th coach to be unveiled in club president Florentino Perez’s reign, with Los Blancos now trailing Primera Division leaders Atletico Madrid by four points after 18 games. Despite a limited coaching resume Zidane received high praise from former teammate David Beckham.

That means Zidane must find a way to topple Barcelona as either European or Spanish champion.

“Zizou won the Champions League when he was on the staff, he knows what they did last season”.