Zinedine Zidane claims Real Madrid’s Champions League clash with Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday is their group’s “first Final”.
Madrid can take a huge step towards the knockout stages with victory over Tottenham, who have also won both of their opening games in Group F.
“Isco’s growth? It’s very simple, it’s his natural progression, he knows that he’s an important player for this club,” the Coach said at a Press conference.
“Every time he has the chance to play, he does well and us getting better every day.
“He can play in many positions, playing closer to the forwards is better for him, but he can play as one of three in the middle.
“It depends on the formation and our opponents, but the most important thing is that he’s improving because he’s very good.
“Bothered by criticism? You can’t do anything about it, people can say whatever they like throughout life, not just now.
“What I have to do is the best I possibly can. I won’t invent anything. Many others may say differently, but it won’t change what I want to do.
“Ballon d’Or? I won’t make a list, but what I can tell you is the others have voted and that I like Isco a lot because he’s always creative. Players that try always end up succeeding. I like that.
“Ronaldo’s goal in La Liga? I was happy for him, he deserved it. He works hard and always wants to improve with everything he’s done.
“I respect Cristiano because he’s an example for everyone else to follow. It’s good that he’s scored in the League and what we want is that he’s always comfortable.
“Keylor? He’s with us, he’s trained very well, without any discomfort, but you’ll see on Tuesday.
“We’re going to have a lot of games now, but the good thing is that we’re returning to normal, there are fewer players out and hopefully we’ll have our rhythm back.
“Still, there will be more difficult times, although lately we’ve been winning and we’re improving.
“Spurs? It’s always a test [despite the opposition], we have two games against Tottenham and the first Final for the group is on Tuesday.
“It’s going to be a good match for people who like football and hopefully we win it.
“Injuries? We have to wait on Dani [Carvajal], but he’s getting fitter every day. Mateo [Kovacic] needs more time, but he’s feeling better. I can’t comment on whether Bale is going to make the return game.
“Modric? We all know his quality. When he plays, he does very well, but when others play, we also find gaps and solutions to win matches.
“Surpassing 100 games as Coach? It was my dream to play in Spain, I’m at the best club in the world and my passion now is to keep coaching this great club. I hope I oversee another 10… 10 more and that’s it!”
