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Zinedine Zidane has rarely spoken about his future at Real Madrid. Perhaps the Frenchman has preferred to avoid the topic in the wake of Real Madrid’s poor start to the season.
However, following back-to-back wins against Sevilla and Borussia Mönchengladbach, he finally opened up on his future, saying he wants to stay but doesn’t want to become Madrid’s own Sir Alex Ferguson.
"I am never going to be Madrid's [Sir Alex] Ferguson, that's for sure. I don't know how long I am going to stay here, I don't think about it,” Zidane said, as quoted by Goal.
"I am very lucky to be at this club and I like being happy even in the most difficult times ... I have lived in Spain, in Madrid for a long time and I want to carry on a while longer," he added.
The win against Sevilla last week halted a run of two successive losses for the Blancos, while victory against Borussia Mönchengladbach in midweek ensured Real Madrid progressed to the last 16 stage of the UEFA Champions League.
Real Madrid face a must-win game against Atletico
It’s been a very good week for Madrid, but they face a bigger test on Saturday when rivals Atletico Madrid come to town.
Diego Simeone’s side has taken an early lead at the summit of La Liga and have so far proven that they are ready to take it to the wire. Atletico currently sits six points above Real Madrid and remain the only unbeaten side in the Spanish top flight.
In terms of quality and squad depth, the Rojiblancos are up there with any side in La Liga. Barcelona are currently struggling to win games and Real Madrid have equally not been consistent enough, which gives more credence to Atletico’s title charge.
When Zidane spoke during his pregame press conference, he admitted that Atletico were favourites for the title. While some may decode that as a mind game, it is the absolute truth, considering the form of Simeone’s side.
But a loss to Atletico will do more harm to Real Madrid. The Blancos won the league last season and, even if they don’t win it this term, they need to be closer to the side that eventually does.
Real Madrid's title ambitions on the line
As it stands, Atletico are running away with the title and winning the Madrid derby on Saturday will see them move nine points ahead of Real. That is why Zidane’s side cannot afford to lose this game.
The Frenchman has endured a huge sigh of relief following wins against Sevilla and Borussia Monchengladbach, but those two wins do not erase the poor season that Madrid has so far had.
After the Clasico, the Madrid derby is the next biggest game in Spain. Already, Atletico have beaten Barcelona and will definitely not go easy on Zidane’s side.
But the onus lies with Real to kick off their season from here. A win will see them close the gap to just three points, but a loss could equally see their title ambitions thrown completely out of the window.
