MADRID, (Reuters) – Zinedine Zidane admitted he has no plans for a lengthy stay as Real Madrid’s manager after coming through the latest of many challenges in his reign by guiding his side into the Champions League knockout stages on Wednesday.
The coach was backed into a corner after defeats to Alaves and Shakhtar Donetsk but victory over Sevilla in La Liga and a commanding 2-0 win over Borussia Moenchengladbach, which meant Madrid finished top of Champions League Group B, has eased the pressure on him.
Yet he ruled out following in the footsteps of Alex Ferguson, who spent 26 years in charge of Manchester United. “I will never be Madrid’s Ferguson, I’m sure of that,” Zidane told a news conference after Madrid booked their place in the Champions League knockouts for the 24th consecutive season.
“What I really want is to enjoy what I’m doing, I don’t know for how long I will stay here so I don’t even think about it.”
Zidane, who first took charge of Madrid in 2016 and is in his second spell after returning to the club in 2019 less than a year after resigning, is Madrid’s third longest serving coach behind Miguel Munoz and Vicente del Bosque.
With 11 trophies to his name including two La Liga titles and three Champions Leagues, he is the club’s second most successful coach behind Munoz, who won 14 honours between 1959 and 1974.
“What I think about is the day-to-day and how lucky I am to be here in this great club with these players,” he added.
“But I don’t know until when, it’s already for a long time now in Spain in Madrid and I want to continue a bit longer.”
Next up for Zidane is Saturday’s derby at home to city rivals and La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid, whose coach Diego Simeone has an even longer history in charge of his side, having taken over in 2011.
