Zinedine Zidane claims he “expected this Real Madrid” as his job has been “easy” ahead of Sunday’s Club World Cup final against Kashima Antlers.
Zidane and Madrid have not looked back since the Frenchman’s appointment last January, with Los Blancos aiming to complement their Champions League and European Super Cup triumphs with a record-fifth world title.
“The game is of the utmost importance to us, we came here to win,” he said at a Press conference.
“We have to play well, and that’s what we’ll do. Our opponents are going to make it difficult for us, but we’re ready.
“Thursday was a strange game for us for the trip, the pitch … but now we’re ready to play. It’s a bit boring to be in the hotel all day, but it’s part of our profession.
“My first year as Coach? My idea was to do this, to get the group together and win games. I’m positive, even if it doesn’t seem that way. I expected this Real Madrid. With these players, it was easy.
“Kashima? We came to play in the final. They’ve won three games and deserve to be in the final. After a week, we’re ready and prepared to play.
“Japanese football has been improving for some time and it’s thanks to the work that’s been done here with the Coaches and players. They’re a good team, organised and run a lot.
“Home support for Kashima? It’ll be difficult, but it won’t change anything. The fans will accompany their team, but surely there are fans from other teams that will support us.
“The affection we’ve been shown is enormous. We’ll do everything we can because we’ll need to do our best and defend well in order to win.
“VAR? For everything, you need time. It’s good that we’re trying to improve things, but we must have patience.
“Everything’s going to get better and more. Things can be improved. No-one is going to stop techonology, it’s something logical.
“What we want is for there to be no doubts and that it’s achieved over time. It’s good for football.
“Ramos? He’s perfectly fine and will be with us. I hope he can play the entire game without any problems. He’s our captain and he’ll be in the starting line-up.
“Learning as a Coach? I’ve been working as a Coach for a little while and every day I’m still learning. It’s the games that improve you.
“South American football? It’s rare for South American teams not to reach the final. This means that football is always getting more difficult.
“In Europe, I always say the same: you can’t win before you play. Every game is a battle.
“The Club World Cup two years ago? We haven’t talked about it, but we have it in mind.
“Things aren’t always done in the same way. After the game, we have a week of holiday and then we must start again by working hard.”
