Madrid, Apr 9 (EFE) .- Zinedine Zidane, coach of Real Madrid, surprised on the eve of the classic by showing in public his desire that the Argentine Lionel Messi “stay at Barcelona”, where he said “it's fine” and it is good for the Spanish League.
“Let him stay at Barcelona, which is fine there and also for the Spanish League,” he said when asked if it would be the last classic for the Argentine star.
His scoring effectiveness against Real Madrid has been lowered in recent games. He has not marked or attended for six, a fact that Zidane does not trust. “We know the player that Lionel Messi is, he is not going to change, he can be without scoring goals which is who he is.”
“But we are going to play against Barcelona, they are all very good. We are going to try to counteract their forces as always, because they have many. We will try to have a good game with the ball,” he said.
After the wear and tear made by Real Madrid against Liverpool in the Champions League, the coach is confident that his players have made a good recovery and assured that they are “ready to play” the classic.
“We know that we are going to have a difficult game, of a maximum demand but we are prepared,” he said. “They are three points equal to those of Eibar or Cádiz. The impact is not the same, we know, but the game is three points and we are going to try to win,” he added.
Zidane highlighted the “good moment” that his team is going through, with a streak of twelve games without losing at a key moment in the League and 'Champions'. “We want to continue with what we are doing. There is a long way to go and we are alive in both competitions. We will try to continue with what we are doing well.”
Whatever happens in the classic, there will be a lot of League left for Zidane, who does not see the one who wins as a favorite or gives up the League in case of defeat. “Atlético continues with an advantage, it goes first and the League, whatever happens, will not be decided until the end. It is very competitive and good, all teams can win it and there are many points left”
“It will not be goodbye if he loses and I'm not thinking about that, we think about giving everything in the game. The consequences will be seen at the end of the game,” he added.
He dodged transfer questions, such as the situation of Mbappé and the options that he ends up signing for Real Madrid. “I know him very well but he is not my player and I cannot talk about anything. I can tell about those of us who are here, it is what interests us, then Kylian is a great player and what he wants to do in the future we will see, but at the moment it is not my concern. “
Focused on his team, he appreciated the good moment of Marco Asensio and the response of the Brazilian Militao against Liverpool. “We know the quality that Marco has and how important it is, especially for offensive players, to score goals. He is much better, also feelings after the long injury he had are forgotten and when he scores goals they give him more confidence to be looser in field”.
“Militao like Vini is a very young player who is learning a lot since his arrival. I see him improve every day and it is good, because he is a player of the present and future. We are happy to have him with us.”
Analyzing the improvement of his team, Zidane put his feet on the ground and recalled that they have not yet met any of their objectives. “Lately we have been playing very well, with positive results. We have improved a lot in defense. Tomorrow we will have to play a great game if we want to win. The season is not over, we have not won anything and we have to continue working as we are doing, very focused on each match”. EFE