Zinedine Zidane is demanding “attitude” over style from Real Madrid when they face Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals.
Zidane was Carlo Ancelotti’s assistant at Madrid when the club beat Bayern 5-0 on aggregate in the 2014 semi-finals en route to La Decima, but both men will be occupying opposing dugouts in three weeks’ time.
“The Champions League draw? I laugh and it’s done,” the Coach said at a Press conference for Saturday’s trip to Athletic Bilbao in La Liga.
“Champions League or La Liga? Both excite me. I’ve learned that here, it’s always good to win everything. We’re also only in these two competitions, there’s nothing else.
“There are five games to win a final and 12 for the League. Bayern are looking good and there are no easy games.
“We have very good and tough opponents, but they’re who we’ve been drawn against and we’re going to do our thing.
“I haven’t spoken to Carlo [Ancelotti]. I don’t think they’re afraid of us. They’re a good team and we know they’re very strong.
“They’re doing very well and it’s going to be a very good tie for football.
“I learned a lot under Carlo, he’s a good person, we know what he did here, but the tie’s 50 50 before it starts. It’s always like that, and more so with this tie.
“But that’s fine, I have no preference. We’re going to play away first and we know we have to score there. Then comes the return leg.
“Ancelotti? We know each other well, but in the tie anything can happen and you have to know the team that you’re going to play.
“The important thing isn’t how you play, it’s your attitude. It’s a beautiful word.
“It’ll be special to face him, I learned a lot from him and he did great things for the club, but for now, we don’t have to think about the Champions League, only San Mames.”