Zidane's departure 'tough to accept,' says Real fan Nadal
(dpa)
Paris (dpa) - Rafael Nadal says he is sad to see Zinedine Zidane leave his favourite football club Real Madrid, just five days after they won the Champions League in Kiev, Ukraine.
Zidane's departure came as a shock to Nadal after the 1998 World Cup winner guided his team to three successive European titles.
However, the 45-year-old told a news conference: "What I think is that this team needs to continue winning but I think it needs a change, a different voice, another methodology."
Nadal, who is aiming for his 11th French Open title at Roland Garros in Paris, described the news as 'tough' but thanked Zidane for being a great ambassador at a club he has followed since he was young.
"Of course it was a surprise for everybody," Nadal said after beating Guido Pella to advance to the French Open third round.
"But at the same time, Zidane is a top person," Nadal said. "It is tough to accept that he's leaving for different things."
"First thing - because he's a great coach and he was having a lot of success with our team," Nadal said. "Second thing - he's a good person, normal person, humble person. He represents, in my opinion, the right values."
Nadal said he understood the reasons for Zidane's announcement after the club endured a tough 2017-18 campaign in La Liga, which was won by rivals Barcelona.
"At the end of the year, he won the Champions League, but during the year - [it] has been a very tough year."
"He deserves to choose what's better for him," Nadal said. "I just can say thanks for all the things that he did for Madrid. I hope he will be back."
However, the 45-year-old told a news conference: "What I think is that this team needs to continue winning but I think it needs a change, a different voice, another methodology."
Nadal, who is aiming for his 11th French Open title at Roland Garros in Paris, described the news as 'tough' but thanked Zidane for being a great ambassador at a club he has followed since he was young.
"Of course it was a surprise for everybody," Nadal said after beating Guido Pella to advance to the French Open third round.
"But at the same time, Zidane is a top person," Nadal said. "It is tough to accept that he's leaving for different things."
"First thing - because he's a great coach and he was having a lot of success with our team," Nadal said. "Second thing - he's a good person, normal person, humble person. He represents, in my opinion, the right values."
Nadal said he understood the reasons for Zidane's announcement after the club endured a tough 2017-18 campaign in La Liga, which was won by rivals Barcelona.
"At the end of the year, he won the Champions League, but during the year - [it] has been a very tough year."
"He deserves to choose what's better for him," Nadal said. "I just can say thanks for all the things that he did for Madrid. I hope he will be back."