MADRID, (Reuters) – Real Madrid president Florentino Perez paid tribute to his players and coach Zinedine Zidane after they wrapped up the La Liga title on Thursday, saying their triumph after the long pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic would forever be remembered.
Real trailed Barcelona by two points when the season was halted in March but they have been on a flawless run since the campaign resumed in June and clinched the title with a 2-1 win over Villarreal.
“We really wanted to win this league title and that is what we have done,” Perez told Spanish television network Movistar.
“They have all put in enormous performances, especially Karim Benzema, Thibaut Courtois and Casemiro, while Sergio Ramos is more than a captain.
“They have all built a brilliant team spirit while Zidane is the architect of this title win as he has put the players to work. We are so pleased.”
Perez added that the team deserved particular credit for how they reacted to the season being put on hold due to the spread of the coronavirus, coming out of spending two months in their homes to win all 10 matches since returning to action.
“The lockdown was important, we trained hard in that period and came back with so much enthusiasm to win this title,” he said.
“Everyone could see how strong we have been. What this team has done will go down in Real Madrid’s history.”
