Wales

Zidane says his relationship with Gareth Bale is normal

17-Jun-2020 21:40:37 | Yahoo Sports

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT VIDEO SHOWS: REAL MADRID COACH ZINEDINE ZIDANE SPEAKING AT NEWS CONFERENCE SHOWS: MADRID, SPAIN (JUNE 17, 2020) (REAL MADRID TV - ACCESS ALL) 1. REAL MADRID COACH ZINEDINE ZIDANE ARRIVING AT NEWS CONFERENCE 2. WHITE FLASH 3. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) REAL MADRID COACH, ZINEDINE ZIDANE, SAYING: "He is as always. He has returned like the rest of them. He is happy to be able to play again. He had a little discomfort in his back and that is why perhaps he is, as you mentioned, not one hundred percent. We're all training well and focused on tomorrow's game." 4. WHITE FLASH 5. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) REAL MADRID COACH, ZINEDINE ZIDANE, SAYING: "I am the coach and Gareth is an important player and when he doesn't play (the press thinks) it's because we don't have a good relationship. We know who the player he is, what he has done and I think there really is no before and after Kyiv. It won't change anything I think about Gareth, about what he has done, I highly respect what he has done and I cannot control what you write every day about the relationship I may have with Gareth, but the relationship is normal." 6. WHITE FLASH 7. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) REAL MADRID COACH, ZINEDINE ZIDANE, SAYING: "There is a calendar and we have to adapt to it. What I say is not going to change anything. I can be angry or not, in the end it is what it is. There are no excuses. We have to think about what we are going to do. We have 10 games left and thing only about that, give the maximum to win each game. Concentrate, train well and not think about anything outside of that." 8. WHITE FLASH 9. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) REAL MADRID COACH, ZINEDINE ZIDANE, SAYING: "As we live in a special moment everything will be special until the end of the season, the Champions League will be the same. We know the format and how it will be played. The only thing we don't know, as you have said, is where we are going to play against Manchester City. They will decide soon and we will adapt to what they tell us. If we have to play in Lisbon, we will play in Lisbon and if it's Manchester, we will play in Manchester." 10. WHITE FLASH 11. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) REAL MADRID COACH, ZINEDINE ZIDANE, SAYING: "The only thing I will say is we have the qualities to start strong and resolve the game as soon as possible. We know we have a rival that can give us difficulties in a game and we take that into account. But we know that if we start well on the pitch, with strength and intensity, we are very strong." 12. WHITE FLASH 13. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) REAL MADRID COACH, ZINEDINE ZIDANE, SAYING (ON EDEN HAZARD): "About Eden, I'm happy with him. He's happy to be able to play again after such a long time. This break has allowed Eden to come back and play with us again. That is good, physically he is doing well. We know the player he is and then there is the connection with Karim (Benzema). I will not say more. We must take advantage of it. " 14. WHITE FLASH 15. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) REAL MADRID COACH, ZINEDINE ZIDANE, SAYING: "About James, it's the same. We know what kind of player he is. It's true he hasn't played a lot lately. That doesn't mean anything. He is with us. We know the player he is and I'm going to count on James too and I hope soon. He's training well. Let's see when it's his turn to play." 16. WHITE FLASH 17. ZIDANE LEAVING STORY: Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane denied media reports his relationship with Gareth Bale was beyond a repair, describing it as "normal." "I highly respect what he has done and I cannot control what you write every day about the relationship I may have with Gareth, but the relationship is normal," the Frenchman told journalists at a news conference ahead of the his club's clash against Valencia on Thursday (June 18) evening. "He is happy to be able to play again, he had a little discomfort in his back and that is why perhaps he is, as you mentioned, not one hundred percent," Zidane said referring to the Welshman's performance against Eibar on Sunday (June 14) which was critisized by the press when he came on the pitch on 61st minute. Zidane also struck a positive note making it clear he was not going to complain about being scheduled to play after Barcelona and in the late slot of 22:00 (20:00GMT). "There are no excuses," he said, adding the focus had to be on Real's upcoming 10 games, starting with Thursday's match against Valencia. As to whether Los Blancos play their Champions League match in Lisbon or Manchester, again he struck a conciliatory tone. "They will decide soon and we will adapt to what they tell us. If we have to play in Lisbon, we will play in Lisbon and if it's Manchester, we will play in Manchester." Zidane also commented on Eden Hazard's return to the pitch after recovering from an ankle injury during the coronavirus break. "About Eden, I'm happy with him," he said. "Physically he is doing well. We know the player he is and then there is the connection with Karim (Benzema) ... I will not say more. We must take advantage of it. " Zidane also confirmed to journalists that he was counting on Colombian international James Rodriquez. "We know the player he is and I'm going to count on James too and I hope quickly. He's training well. Let's see when it's his turn to play," he said. (Production: Catherine Macdonald)