'I won't resign' says Zidane after another Champions League defeat
RESENDING WITH CORRECTIONS TO TRANSCRIPTIONS
VIDEO SHOWS: STILL PHOTOS OF SHAKHTAR DONETSK'S 2-0 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE WIN OVER REAL MADRID / COMMENTS FROM REAL COACH ZINEDINE ZIDANE
SHOWS:
KYIV, UKRAINE (DECEMBER 1, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) (MUTE)
1. STILL PHOTO SHOWING TAISON IN ACTION WITH REAL MADRID'S RAPHAEL VARANE (WHITE KIT) DURING SHAKHTAR DONETSK'S 2-0 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GROUP B WIN
2. STILL PHOTO SHOWING MARLOS WITH HANDS IN THE AIR CELEBRATING AFTER DENTINHO OPENED THE SCORING
3. STILL PHOTO SHOWING SHAKHTAR PLAYERS CELEBRATING AFTER GOING 1-0 UP
4. STILL PHOTO SHOWING MANOR SOLOMON AND TETE CELEBRATING TOGETHER AFTER SOLOMON PUT THEM 2-0 UP
5. STILL PHOTO SHOWING REAL COACH ZINEDINE ZIDANE LOOKING PERPLEXED DURING THE MATCH
KYIV, UKRAINE (DECEMBER 1, 2020) (SHAKHTAR DONETSK HANDOUT - ACCESS ALL)
6. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) REAL MADRID COACH, ZINEDINE ZIDANE, SAYING:
"Yes, yes I feel strong and I'm going to give it all, like we always do and as the players did today. The other day in the league we did not deserve to win because we didn't play a good match but today, in my opinion, we played a good match and we deserved to win but this is football. We have to lift our heads, recover and think on the next match. I always say the same, when there is a bad streak there is no other option than think, help each other, and think on the next match that is also important for us."
7. WHITE FLASH
8. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) REAL MADRID COACH, ZINEDINE ZIDANE, SAYING:
"No, there is no option, I'm not going to resign, no way. Regarding an explanation, it is true that in the first half we played very well, I think we deserved to score the first goal. If we had scored first, things would have been different because it is true that their first goal hurt us a lot. We were playing well in their side of the pitch, pressing high, recovering balls. We had two or three chances, some struck the post but the ball didn't want to go in and everything was complicated."
9. WHITE FLASH
10. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) REAL MADRID COACH, ZINEDINE ZIDANE, SAYING:
"Well we had a delicate moment but we are always going to have difficult moments. I think it is a bad results streak, that is true. We have to keep going. Today it was a final, I think we prepared for it well, we played a great first half but we couldn't score. We know that there is still a match to be played and we need to win it and think on going through to the next round. That is it. We will always have delicate moments in this club."
11. WHITE FLASH
12. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) REAL MADRID COACH, ZINEDINE ZIDANE, SAYING:
"Yes, it is about that. It is a complicated moment but because it is a complicated moment we have to show our character, our pride. It was a pity today, we didn't deserve it (to lose). We will need to win the next match, the last match because today we couldn't do it. We believe and we are going to fight, I'm sure about that."
STORY: Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane vowed to keep fighting on after his side were left in danger of a shock early Champions League exit after Tuesday's (December 1) 2-0 defeat at Shakhtar Donetsk.
Madrid have failed to win their last three La Liga matches and head into their final Champions League game third in Group B after goals from Dentinho and Manor Solomon condemned them to a second defeat to the Ukrainians after losing 3-2 in October.
Madrid host group leaders Borussia Moenchengladbach next Wednesday (December 8), while Shakhtar, who are second due to a superior head-to-head record over Real, visit bottom side Inter Milan.
"I feel strong and as always I'm going to give everything and so will the players," Zidane told a news conference.
"We just have to keep our chins up and focus on the next game. There's nothing else we can do."
The Frenchman resigned as Madrid coach in May 2018 shortly after winning a third consecutive Champions League in Kyiv but insisted there was no chance of him doing the same now.
"I'm not going to resign, no way," he said.
"We played very well in the first half but the ball didn't want to go in the net. We had lots of chances, we hit the post, and after that things got more difficult for us.
"We're on a bad run of results, that's a reality, but we have to keep on going. We have one more game (in the group) and we have to win it."
(Production: Stefan Haskins)
