Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane had no room for excuses ahead of their UEFA Champions League game against Atalanta on Wednesday night despite his suffering having an injury crisis.
The team have seen key players including Sergio Ramos, Daniel Carvajal, Federico Valverde, Eden Hazard, Karim Benzema and a host of others sidelined ahead of the game but the Frenchman says he is happy with the team he has at his disposal at the moment.
“You talk to me about the injuries but I am happy with the players I have here,” he said during his press conference on Tuesday. “And we always go out to win, we are never happy with less than victory.”
Gian Piero Gasperini, the coach of the Italian outfit also came up with a joke which implied that he would be bothered if his team had to come against Zidane on the field in the game.
“Luckily I’m not playing tomorrow, I can’t anymore. I’m finished. When I played for Juventus he was the youth coach.
“He has done a great job with Atalanta and I love him as a coach.”
Atalanta progressed to the last 16 of the competition ahead of Ajax and Midtjylland, qualifying together with Liverpool. They are noted for their impressive football style, with many likening it to the Ajax team which knocked Madrid out of the tournament two seasons ago but Zidane didn’t want to make comparisons.
“Offensively they are very good, they attack well and physically they are also very good.
“I don’t like comparing teams, but tomorrow it’s going to be a good game.”
