Champions League: Zidane Insists Future At Real Madrid Unconnected With European Success

Zinedine Zidane’s Real Madrid are looking to win the Champions League for the third consecutive season with Europe’s elite club competition the only hope for a trophy for the Spanish capital club this season.

Zidane’s side have not been knocked out of the competition since he took over two and a half years ago and it will be unprecedented if they go on to win the competition for the third year in a row. Real beat Bayern Munich 2-1 in the first leg of the semi-finals and face the Bavarian giants in the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday night.

As good as Real’s campaign has been in Europe, their domestic form has been dreadful this season. They are in third place, 15 points behind arch rivals Barcelona, who were crowned champions of Spain - with four games left to play – on Sunday.

Zidane’s side have a chance to finish second if they win all their games and Atletico Madrid, who are in second place, draw or lose one of their last three games. It will not represent a successful season if they fail to win a trophy.

The Spanish club’s hierarchy is famed for its ruthlessness and before their run to the semi-finals of the Champions League it looked like the end of the road at Real for Zidane. Many are of the view that he will be sacked if he does not deliver a third European title to make up for their failings in the domestic league.

The French manager, however, is not concerned and made it clear that results in Europe will not affect his future at the club. He is keen to continue as the manager of the La Liga giants beyond the current campaign, but it remains to be seen if the club’s senior management will give him the opportunity to turn things around and make them La Liga title challengers next season.

"It's independent of that,” Zidane said, talking about the Champions League’s connection with his future at the club, as quoted on BBC Sport. "Today I'm the coach and I want to continue at this club.”

"But it's not important. What matters to everyone is thinking about this game and that's it,” he added, referring to Tuesday’s clash with Bayern.

Real are favorites to progress to the final in Kiev after having won the first leg at the Allianz Arena 2-1. A draw or even a 1-0 loss on the night will see them progress to their fourth final in five years.

Zidane, however, is not keen on resting on their lead from the first leg and was clear that his team will look to win the game by going on the attack early in the game. They will be without Danny
Carvajal, who is out with a hamstring injury, but Isco trained with the squad despite struggling with a shoulder injury.

"The key for us is think about winning the game and to go on to the pitch wanting to do that," Zidane said. "We need to go out to score quickly and that's what we'll try to do."