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According to Marca, Real Madrid head coach Zinedine Zidane has spoken up concerning his future, claiming he hopes to one day lead the French national team.
Speaking in a pre-match interview ahead of Real Madrid’s La Liga clash with Valencia on Sunday, the 48-year-old revealed that coaching the French national team is a goal he aims to attain.
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However, he was also affirmative about being focused on the job at hand and enjoying his stay at the Santiago Bernabeu.
"We will see, my mind is here. I am at Madrid and I enjoy every day. I am passionate about football. You never know about the future. My relationship with Mr. [Noel] Le Graët [President of the French Football Federation] is long, since 1998,” Zidane said.
"The national team is a goal, like I said when I started coaching ten years ago, but now I'm here."
Real Madrid have struggled to get into gear this season. They are in third place in the league table, eight points adrift of league leaders Atletico Madrid, who have a game in hand.
With pressure mounting on Zidane at Real Madrid, he believes he can turn the club’s fortune around and still challenge for the La Liga title and the Champions League.
"We know the pressure that comes with representing Real Madrid.
"We do our own thing, what we can control. We know we can achieve great things and we are going to put all our energy into these two [remaining] competitions," Zidane added.
Real Madrid continue to struggle amidst major injuries
A major reason for Real Madrid’s underperformance this season has been their lengthy injury list. The Spanish champions have lost several key players over the course of the season, including the likes of Eden Hazard and defender Carvajal, and Zidane has expressed his frustration at the situation.
Just last week, Real Madrid captain and star defender Sergio Ramos was sidelined with a torn meniscus in his knee.
It was reported that the Spaniard underwent surgery. However, Los Blancos hope to have him back in the fold ahead of the return of the UEFA Champions League.
Speaking on the club’s current injury crisis, Zidane said:
"It is not bad luck. We are worried," he said. "We have talked about it many times. We do not like not having the players [available]. We are going to try to help them recover.
"We've got back Lucas [Vazquez] and [Dani] Carvajal and little by little I hope that we can recover the others, whom we miss. I always want my players with me."
He added that the club will make use of players from Real Madrid's academy, but the youngsters will face serious competition from within the squad.
"Of course I see [youth] players who can stay [in the first team].
"It's one of Madrid's virtues, even though some might have to leave because the competition is strong."
