Football: Zidane downplays Madrid move for Pogba
MADRID (AFP) - Zinedine Zidane has played down speculation linking Real Madrid with a summer move for Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba.
Zidane said in March he knew Pogba personally and likes him "a lot" before adding Madrid could be his next club "when his experience in Manchester comes to an end".
Pogba had also added to the doubts surrounding his future by saying that "all players dream of playing for Real Madrid".
But ahead of his team's La Liga game at home to Villarreal on Sunday, Zidane appeared to downplay the chances of Pogba moving to the Santiago Bernabeu.
"I said Pogba was a good player but I could say the same about other players," Zidane said at a press conference on Saturday.
"I know him but nothing more. If you ask me about Pogba, I say he is a very good player but he plays for Manchester United.
"At the end of the season we will see which players come here, and who leaves, but I did not say 'We are going to sign Pogba,' nothing like that.
"I will not say anything until the deals are done."
Madrid sit third in La Liga, 18 points behind champions Barcelona and with little hope of catching Atletico Madrid in second.
Zidane's team have delivered a series of underwhelming performances, most recently in a 0-0 draw with Getafe and 1-0 defeat to Rayo Vallecano.
"I was very angry the other day, so were the players, they didn't enjoy it either," Zidane said. "Sometimes nothing goes your way."
Madrid fans have vented their frustration towards a number of players, in particular Gareth Bale, but Zidane said supporters cannot assume anyone will leave.
"The season is what it is but the fans must think about next season. There will be changes but many of these players will stay," he said.
"The fans will be the same, and most of the players too so we must stick together.
"We are going to have time to prepare for next season. Until Aug 31 anything can happen, so it will be a long summer."
Vinicius Junior has been one of the few positives to come from Madrid's season and he could return against Villarreal after two months out with a hamstring injury.
"Vinicius is training much better and ready to be in the squad," Zidane said.
"He is very good, he is an important player for this team and the future. He is 18 years old and we have to be patient.
"But he deserves to be here and next year, we will see how we can make the best of him."
Alexis Sanchez came back to haunt Arsenal as the Chilean opened the scoring in Manchester United's 3-1 FA Cup fourth-round win on Friday to maintain Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's 100 percent record as
Sanchez haunts Arsenal as Man Utd maintain perfect record
More than 3,000 bid farewell to Sala in Progreso, Football
Karim Benzema shot Real Madrid to within two points of La Liga leaders Barcelona with the winner in a scrappy 1-0 win over Rayo Vallecano, while countryman Antoine Griezmann fired a brace in a 3-2 win over Real Valladolid to take Atletico Madrid level with Barca.
Football Real Madrid, Atletico close in on Barcelona - Pulse
Porto go through with extra time VAR penalty. PORTO (Reuters) - Porto converted a penalty awarded following a VAR review three minutes from the end of extra time to beat AS Roma 3-1 and reach the Champions League quarter-finals after an epic finale on Wednesday.
Porto go through with extra time VAR penalty - rte.ie
PSG coach Tuchel hits out at Neymar after fan attack Thomas Tuchel on Monday blasted Neymar for hitting a fan who insulted Paris Saint-Germain players as they filed up to collect their French Cup
PSG coach Tuchel hits out at Neymar after fan attack
Pedro scored a vital away goal for Chelsea in their Europa League semi-final first leg 1-1 draw against Eintracht Frankfurt. There was a raucous atmosphere ahead of kick-off and the home fans were
Chelsea draw 1-1 at Eintracht in Europa League semi first leg
If you don't want to eat more to reduce hunger, this article will show you how to suppress hunger without food. Hunger is one of the biggest obstacles for people trying to lose weight. And unless you learn how to control it, it can stop you from losing weight. You probably know that eating high fiber foods can reduce hunger. But did you know
Joe Cole expects Tottenham stars to be on the phone to their
Football: Guardiola stays cool despite shock Man City defeat MANCHESTER, United Kingdom (AFP) - Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola said he was not disappointed by his players' effort despite suffering a surprise 3-2 home defeat to Crystal Palace on Saturday (Dec 22).
Guardiola Stays Cool Despite Shock Manchester City Defeat
Soccer: Hojbjerg strike gives Southampton 1-0 win at Brighton
Dec 12, 2018 · Eleven Sports, the self-styled "Netflix of Sports" controlled by the Leeds United owner, Andrea Radrizzani, could be facing closure in the UK & Ireland after failing to attract enough subscribers.
Eleven Sports ditches Serie A in bid to prevent UK and
Goals from Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah sent Liverpool back to the top of the Premier League after a 2-0 victory over Chelsea on Sunday in manager Jurgen Klopp's 200th game in charge.
Southampton 1-3 Liverpool: Jurgen Klopp's side return to top
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
0 comments:
Post a Comment