Zinedine Zidane admits Real Madrid’s 2-1 defeat to Leganes in the Copa del Rey was “my worst night, my responsibility and a failure”.
Madrid crashed out of the cup on Wednesday, leaving them at grave risk of ending the season without any major silverware, and Zidane confessed his side would be “playing for everything” against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League next month.
“After the first leg, we had the first half that we had…” the Coach said after the game.
“It can’t be. It’s a fair result because we didn’t do what we wanted to do. It’s a failure and I take responsibility for it. I’m very disappointed, it’s a very tough blow to take.
“My worst night? I always take responsibility for what I do, and this is my worst night.
“Winning 1-0 there and starting the way we did… I don’t understand what happened. Now we have to see how we’re going to come back from it.
“I was wrong on many things, but you have to think about getting up. It’s a very hard pill to swallow.
“Angry with my players? No, I’m angry with myself. My players tried, ran and were poor at times, but it’s my fault.
“A before and after? The solution is to keep working. I’ll take on the situation and keep working. It’s difficult, especially after we won the first leg 1-0
“We defended well in the first leg, but tonight was the opposite. We have to change this. It’s a failure on my part, yes.
“I can’t explain the first half. Some players didn’t play at their usual level. They tried, but sometimes things didn’t work out. What I can’t explain is the first half we had.
“What we’re giving at the moment isn’t enough, so we have to work harder. It’s all very clear, I’m responsible for this.
“It’s me who has to find solutions and make the team more effective. I don’t regret having left out Bale or Ronaldo, but I take responsibility in what I do.
“I put out a competitive team against Leganes. On paper, it was a competitive team, but they weren’t in the first half. My big mistake is having lost the game at home.
“I don’t know if this is the worst season in Madrid’s history, but that doesn’t bother me. I have to be positive, even after tonight.
“We have to apologise to the fans, accept the situation and pick ourselves up because 2018 hasn’t ended, we have a League match on Saturday and the Champions League starts on February 14.
“Of course we’ll be playing for everything against PSG. The objectives are no longer those we set at the start of the season.
“Right now, we can only fulfil our remaining matches, and that means preparing for the game on February 14.”
