“Athletic are having a great season, since the beginning and we know what we’ll be up against,” he added.
Zinedine Zidane spoke in the press room at Real Madrid City after the last training session before welcoming Athletic to the Santiago Bernabéu. The coach analysed the match: “We have another match, another challenge and another opponent. They’re a side that have been doing great since the beginning of the season and we know the match that awaits us. We always look at what we are going to do on the pitch. We’re ready to play a good game. We’ve put all our energy into it, we know it’s the last game of the year and we have to give it our all”.


“We’re going to play the game and then we’re going to rest. We’ll have a few days rest and come back stronger. I don’t think it’s going to change anything. They play in other places, but not here”.

Level
“We’re at the level we wanted to be, not just physically. We’ve worked on it a lot with the people in charge, but on all levels. We’re very good at the minute, we’ve been constant. We had a difficult start to the season, but we had to be patient and put into practice what we were doing on the pitch. Not only in terms of results, but also in terms of our game. And that’s the most important thing for me”.

Tactics
“I’m not going to say that I’m sick of people thinking that. I think it’s a little awkward that we have to show our work all the time. The important thing in football is to be consistent and we’re getting there. Our playing identity when we have the ball has to be offensive and when we don’t, we defend very well. Tactically, they might say that there are people better than me, but maybe I don’t see it like other people”.

“For me, tactics is a state of form, of mind. For me it’s the ambition and the desire that the players put in. Honestly, we don’t play with a 4-4-2, I say that for people who talk about it and say we only play like that. That shows that everyone has their own way of thinking. We want to play and that’s how we do it”.

James
“James is coming on. He’s slowly working his way up, he’s had a bad injury. He’s getting better every day now, you’ll see the squad. We want James back, this is very clear, I don’t know when and I don’t know how, but he is in his recovery process”.

Isco’s involvement
“It’s because he’s always on form. He always trains to try and play and be good for the team. He has a lot of personality, he is a player who we know what he can give to the team and it’s all down to him and his work. It’s because of what he’s doing”.

Valverde and Pogba
“What I can tell you is about my players and all the means I have. They are involved, it is difficult for me to pick the teams and that’s a good thing. Fede (Valverde) is an asset to the club and we’re happy that he’s with us”.


Comparison with last season
“The priority for us is the day-to-day. The league is the day to day and the idea at this club is to fight for everything until the end and see what happens. That’s what we’re going to do, play. The important thing for us is to work well every day. We’re working very well and we’re going to continue next year the same way, because this is the last match of the year”.