Zinedine Zidane has looked to temper talk of him replacing Rafael Benítez as Real Madrid manager in the wake of their 4-0 thrashing by Barcelona in Saturday’s clásico.
Benítez is under intense pressure following the defeat, just five months after taking over at the club. Zidane is currently in charge of their Castilla team and has for some time been linked with the manager’s post. However, the 43-year-old has claimed he is not interested, or ready, in taking up a promotion at the Bernabéu.
“I am coach of Castilla and Benítez of the first team. Things are fine at the moment,” Zidane is reported as saying. “I am with Castilla and if I stay at the club it is the coach of Castilla. Last year, at the end of the season, I had the feeling that I still lacked something to take over the first team.”
Benítez should remain mindful of the Frenchman’s presence, however, given he has stated on record his desire to become a manager one day, saying in an interview with the Guardian in May 2013 that he “would definitely like to run a club one day.”
