Real Madrid vs Al-Jazira: Managers press conference before the Club World Cup
By Alex McVey
Key Takeaways from the two Press Conferences:
It’s clear that there are two distinct sets of expectations facing these two managers ahead of this clash. Zinedine Zidane is in the precarious position of knowing that anything less than a victory in this tournament would be a complete embarrassment, but that in the grand scheme of things this trophy matters much less than the upcoming match against FC Barcelona. Zidane characteristically played it cool, stressing the need for his players to remain humble and stay focused on the task ahead of him.
For ten Cate, the story is different. Making it to the semi-finals of the Club World Cup and getting to play against Los Galacticos from Real Madrid is already a huge accomplishment. Ten Cate’s press conference was all about managing expectations. Specifically, his comments about his players playing Real Madrid characters on Playstation point to the vast gulf in quality between the two sides.
Next: Three things to watch for as Real Madrid begin the Club World Cup against Al-Jazira