the Decima-winning season and he has revealed
he wanted the position Rafa Benitez was handed
Zinedine Zidane has revealed he would have said
yes if Real Madrid had asked him to succeed Carlo
Ancelotti as head coach.
The Santiago Bernabeu legend was Ancelotti's
assistant in 2013-14, a season which saw the club
win the Champions League and the Copa del Rey,
but he chose to take charge of their Castilla side in
the campaign which just finished.
When Ancelotti was sacked following the climax of
2014-15, there were suggestions Zidane could be
the Italian's successor but the club ultimately
chose experienced ex-Napoli and Valencia boss
Rafa Benitez.
But Zidane claims there was no chance he would
have turned down the opportunity to take charge of
Cristiano Ronaldo and his Blancos team-mates,
though he insists he harbours no resentment
towards Benitez and Madrid.
"Yes, I would have accepted the task of being
Ancelotti's successor," he told France Football on
his 43rd birthday. "I am a professional and never
refuse a challenge.
"But no, I am not disappointed I was overlooked in
favour of Benitez. It was felt by the board that now
was not the time for me to take over. These things
happen naturally, one should not force them.
"It was not meant to be on this occasion. Madrid
president Florentino Perez chose another coach,
and that's that."
Zidane also opened up about his first full 12
months as head coach during which he attained a
deeper understanding of how solitary life at the top
can be at times.
"For the first time I was the person who was
making the big decisions," the World Cup-winning
former France midfielder added. "Being a coach
means being alone. One is judged on results and
what one gives his players."
No comments:
Post a Comment