Zinedine Zidane says Real Madrid's problems have been mental, not physical
Saturday 27 January 2018 22:36, UK
Zinedine Zidane says Real Madrid's recent problems have been mental rather than physical after his side beat Valencia 4-1 on Saturday.
Real have endured a torrid season under Zidane, with the European champions sitting fourth in La Liga even after their emphatic win at the Mestalla.
Pressure on Zidane has continued to mount, particularly after Wednesday's shock Copa del Rey defeat to Leganes.
The Frenchman has conceded his future may depend on their crunch Champions League last-16 tie against Paris Saint-Germain next month.
"A lot of times it comes down to your mentality, not your fitness. We're suffering more mentally than physically," Zidane said.
But Real delivered a statement victory against Valencia as Cristiano Ronaldo scored two penalties before Marcelo and Toni Kroos secured all three points late on.
"I'm under examination every day but I won't change my ways," Zidane said. "I'll keep working with my players and they should be congratulated because they put in a great performance today."
"It's exciting to see my players playing with such guile. We all know how tough it is to come to the ground and their team have done some great things in La Liga.
"Winning 4-1 is no mean feat, so we really have to hand it to these players."
One blip on Zidane's successful afternoon came as Karim Benzema expressed his dissatisfaction at being substituted in the second half.
"No player enjoys being substituted," Zidane said. "The result is what matters and Karim is feeling satisfied just like the others."
