LONDON: Zinedine Zidane has confirmed that he has signed a contract extension which will keep him at Real Madrid until 2020 but claims the new deal “means nothing.”
The Frenchman enjoyed a brilliant start to his stint as boss at the Bernabeu winning back-to-back Champions League titles, the La Liga crown and consecutive Club World Cups.
Bit time moves fast in football and over the past six months the all-time great player has suddenly found the coaching game not as easy as he did in the first 18 months of his time at Real.
The Spanish giants went into the winter break on the back of a harrowing 3-0 defeat to arch-rivals Barcelona and letting slip a lead at Celta Vigo and ending up drawing 2-2 last weekend. That has seen them slump to a mammoth, some in Madrid would say embarrassing, 16-point gap behind Barca in the La Liga table, and for the first time the knives are out for Zidane.
All too aware of this the 45-year-old was seemingly indifferent when announcing his new deal.
“It’s signed,” he said.
“I’m enjoying what I do every day, because that’s the way it is. I can’t imagine myself as a coach in two, three years, because things are not like that.
“I know how it goes, nothing more, even with this contract it does not change anything.
“I go match by match, year by year, like last year. I cannot look two or three years ahead because having the contract does not mean anything.
“We’re always going to get criticism but we’re going to try to change this situation,” he said.
On Wednesday, as if to emphasize results are not going the way of the glamor club, Real drew 2-2 at home to second division Numancia the the second-leg of their Copa del Ray quarterfinal clash — they won the first-leg 3-0. It may have been a second string side Zidane put out but once again, as is seemingly becoming a habit, results are not going the way he wants and the expectant club hierarchy expect.
“It was a difficult match. A draw is not the best result, but we’ll continue to do our job in a positive way and at some point we’ll see the results of this hard work,” the man known as “Zizou” said.
Real face Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16 of the Champions League and an early exit for the current title-holders would only serve to increase the pressure on Zidane with the side’s La Liga title tilt already all but over.
Arab News casts its eye over possible replacements for Zidane should be sacked…
MAURICIO POCHETTINO: The Argentine has turned Tottenham around from being perennial no-hopers to one of the most exciting teams in Europe. Still without silverware but they are challenging the top table both at home and in the Champions League. Pochettino has played in Spain for Espanyol and Real are known admirers of the 45-year-old, as are most top club side in Europe.
JOACHIM LOW: The 57-year-old led Germany to World Cup glory in Brazil four years ago and is widely regarded as one of the planet’s top coaches. The Madrid men have long had their eye on Low but with the this year’s showpiece barely six months away they would be very unlikely to get their man in before August if they do decide to part company with Zidane.
CRISTIANO RONALDO: We admit this is a bit far-fetched but lets face it, confidence would not be a problem in the Portuguese making the leap from playmaker to player-coach. It would also mean he would never be substituted and demand the ball at every opportunity knowing his teammates would have to pass to him. Perhaps the opportunity has come a bit too early for the big ego…