What Zinedine Zidane had to say after Real Madrid’s 3-0 loss to FC Barcelona
By Ben Sundock
Real Madrid was crushed in the second half by rival’s FC Barcelona Saturday afternoon in the Santiago Bernabéu, leaving Los Blancos 11 points behind the top of the league. Here is what manager Zinedine Zidane had to say following the tough loss.
All quotes come via the Real Madrid official website.
Opening statement
"“We started very well and had the opportunities to score but we didn’t manage to do so. We made a mistake for their first goal and the game was uphill from then on. Just as I wanted to make the substitutions, the second goal went in and everything changed with the sending-off. Mateo also picked up a knock defending the second goal and the first was our fault because we didn’t defend it very well. It’s a painful defeat but it’s the way it is, and we have to take it on the chin today.”“We’re disappointed because it’s a tough one to take but we’re not going to let our heads drop. We’ve got a week to rest up well and we’ll come back stronger than before. Real Madrid never give in. It’s a tough time now after the defeat and conceding three goals. We didn’t deserve to lose in this fashion, but that’s football and it happens sometimes.”"
On his approach coming into the match
“I don’t regret anything. I’m here to make decisions. If we had scored in the first half, things would have been very different. They are my decisions and I take full responsibility. We’re frustrated because a defeat like this is very painful for everyone involved.”
“Now we have to rest up and keep going forward. I’m not going to ever change. We have to keep making progress because we have a long way to go. Everyone seems to think that LaLiga is done and dusted but I don’t think that it is. We will keep plugging away, this has not been a bad year.”
“We aren’t in too much of a bad place. Football can change very quickly. This summer Barcelona were on the rocks, now it is us. We have to accept it. That’s football. When you win, it is fantastic but when you lose it can be a nightmare. We can’t be happy with the manner in which we’ve lost the game but I have every faith in my players and what they have done up until now has been nothing short of phenomenal.”
Comments on a potential disagreement with Isco
“I’m not going to comment on that at the moment. I take my decisions as the coach. I decided Kovacic would play and that I couldn’t bring Isco on due to the sending-off. I wanted to make the double change but because of that card I couldn’t. When you are a player down, the game changes.”
Did his team have a fitness issue late in the match?
“We made a good start to the second half. The first goal came following a mistake from us and then the sending-off changed the whole complexion of the game. Playing with 10 men and being two goals down is always tough, both in physical and mental terms.”
More from The Real Champs
- The Xabi Factor: What Alonso could bring to Real Madrid as manager
- Manchester City hold talks over Real Madrid target
- Real Madrid player confirms he is playing with a fracture
- Real Madrid superstar rejected Premier League clubs confirmed
- Spaniard ready to join Real Madrid instead of Liverpool
On Karim Benzema’s play
“I’ll always defend my players. This is a really tough time for us. He nearly always gets jeered. These things happen when a great player is going through a rough patch. I’m not usually one to throw the towel in and nor is he. Today we’ll receive a lot of criticism but we’ll come back stronger than ever.”
My reaction
While Zidane constantly draws criticism from Real Madrid supporters when things don’t go their way, I have to say I am impressed with how the former player, now manager, carries himself in victory and defeat.
He remains optimistic and driven to succeed in his current role and I respect that.
However, that doesn’t mean I agree with everything he said in his post-match press conference. I didn’t hear about the disagreement he had with Isco until near the end of the match and I am now intrigued to find out more about it.
Zizou is usually pretty transparent with the media, but his denying to comment on the matter must mean it is something pretty serious. Isco reportedly was very angry he did not get the start in this match as Mateo Kovacic was chosen over him. Then, to have him warm-up like he was going to come in before Carvajal’s red card to not could have set him off even more.
As far as the Karim Benzema statement, I have to disagree with the tactician. Yes, it is his responsibility to defend his players and stay on their good side, but call a spade a spade. Benzema, yet again, was woeful when his team needed him most.
Other than his one header that glanced off the outside of the post in the first half, Benz was absent for the entire match not making any threatening runs, linking up well, or creating some stress for the Barca back line.
Once again, Gareth Bale came on and had better chances and created more chances than Benzema in just 20 minutes of play.
This is a tough loss for this team, but they still have something to play for. They are still in the Copa Del Rey and Champions League, plus, there are still five months to play in La Liga. The title race is not over and if this team can make some moves in January, they still could make a miraculous comeback.
For today, however, we wallow in defeat.
Next: Real Madrid 0 – 3 Barcelona – match recap from Madrid’s embarrassing loss