Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane coy on job status: ‘You have to ask someone else about that’

Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane reacts as he walks to the bench during his team's match with Atletico Madrid at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on April 8, 2017 in Madrid, Spain. Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno /Show more

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane accepted on Saturday his future could be out of his hands if the European champions fail to deliver a major trophy this season.

Zidane's side lost their grip on the Primera Liga title race as Antoine Griezmann's late equaliser handed Atletico Madrid a 1-1 draw at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Real lead Barcelona by three points with eight games remaining, but the two face each other in a potential title decider at the Bernabeu on April 23.

“You have to ask someone else about that, not me,” said Zidane in reference to president Florentino Perez when asked if he could survive without winning either Primera Liga or the Champions League.

Madrid travel to Bayern Munich for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday.

“I am the coach and I dedicate myself to coaching every day with strength and the desire that this shirt and this club demands,” added Zidane.

“I can’t speculate about the rest.”

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Zidane has an excellent record since taking over at Real in January 2015.

The Frenchman led Madrid to their 11th Champions League last season and has added the UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup this season.

However, Perez, who is expected to win a third consecutive election to remain as club president this summer, has a habit of sacking coaches despite previous successes.

Current Bayern boss Carlo Ancelotti was relieved of his duties at the Bernabeu in 2015 just a year after winning the Champions League and Copa del Rey double.

Zidane will be tasked with outfoxing his former mentor Ancelotti on Wednesday.

And he lamented missing the chance to take a huge step towards the title at the start of a huge two-week stretch that will end with Barca’s visit to the Bernabeu.

“It is a draw but we’ve lost two points,” said Zidane.

“Clearly we deserved all three points today.”

Pepe’s towering header had put Real in front seven minutes into the second half.

But there was further bad news for the European champions as Pepe then hobbled off with two broken ribs that will keep him out of the clashes against Bayern and Barca.

Griezmann’s late intervention ensured some measure of revenge for Atletico after losing out to Real on penalties in last year’s Champions League final.

The Frenchman kept his head to coolly slot past Keylor Navas for his 23rd goal of the season,

And Atletico boss Diego Simeone hailed Griezmann’s transformation into the complete all-round player.

“Words aren’t enough to describe a player that has so much desire on top of what he has technically and how he finishes,” said Simeone.

“He is a player who runs, works hard, plays in and outside the area and runs in behind. All these things excite me on top of the talent he had.

“When such a talented player works so hard it is doubly nice to see.”

* Agence France-Presse

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