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Real Madrid – La Liga He spoke of the past and present of Real Madrid
Steve McManaman it will always be with love remembered by Real Madrid and all those associated with Los Blancos for the Englishman’s goal in the 2000 Champions League final against Valencia, and the former Liverpool striker has reflected on Los Blancos’ past and present.
Now an ambassador of LaLiga Santander, McManaman He sat down with Livescore to talk about his past as a Real Madrid player, as well as the current situation of the team that his former teammate leads. Zinedine Zidane.
For Real Madrid, who won LaLiga Santander last season for the first time in several years, how feasible is it that they will do so again this year?
I think when you look at both sides (Real Madrid and Barcelona), Madrid have a better team. They don’t have stars on the team and, like I said, on defense they are playing well. They are much more solid, they do not win games by a difference of five or six goals, but they do not allow goals to enter as before. Many of the games end 1-0, 2-0 and are very close victories. This strength they have will help them from now on and I think they will regain the title.
Is there a Real Madrid player this season that you have your radar on?
I am very excited to see Eden Hazard because he gave a lot at Chelsea, he was an exceptional player. It has been a very good signing for Real Madrid and so far it has not been at its best. He started out without being in his best shape and has had many injuries, although he has not been able to do a full preseason. I am looking forward to seeing it in its best condition. Karim Benzema has been excellent, Marco Asensio has also been seriously injured so I am waiting to see how he has recovered as he has the whole season ahead of him, although I really hope Eden Hazard has a fabulous year.
When you played with Zinedine Zidane, did you see him with the potential to be a coach?
No, not at that time. He was an incredible player but very reserved until he learned to speak Spanish. He retired at the height of his career, lived in Madrid and thought of himself. Obviously, Real Madrid always used him as an ambassador, but being next to Carlo Ancelotti and being his number two before being appointed coach and winning what he won with three UEFA Champions League in two and a half years was something that few could have done. . foretold. I don’t think many of the players I follow will become coaches in the future because they just don’t want it. They don’t want that pressure on their backs by working 24 hours a day and being away from their families. While it is a highly appreciated role when things are going well, it is a very difficult job when they are not, so I have the utmost respect for Zinedine because there will always be some downside to some extent given that he is a fan. ‘ Favourite. To accept that job, you must have really wanted to jump into that kind of role.
Do you think that in the future, in 50 or 60 years, we will remember Zinedine Zidane more as a coach than as a player?
Yes absolutely. He stopped playing soccer ten or fifteen years ago, so people who are growing up now know him as a coach. Only older people know what they accomplished as players. The 1998 FIFA World Cup, in which he scored two goals in the final, was a long time ago if you think about it. In 2002, when he scored the volley in the Champions League final, it was also a long time ago. People who are growing up now only know one thing, that he is an exceptional coach, so in 50-60 years they will talk about him as such. It will be interesting to see how he handles himself on teams other than Real Madrid, as he has lived here for a long time. I would like to know if you are interested in coaching PSG or the French team or something like that.
Why did you go from the Premier League to LaLiga Santander?
It was several things, not just one. It was the fact that we weren’t good enough [Liverpool] team to win the league. Liverpool were going through a transitional phase when Roy Evans left the club and when Gerard Houiller arrived as manager. I think he wanted to take the club in another direction, a little different and introduce his own players. I was nearing the end of my contract, my mother was very ill at the time and then she died, right after the last game of the season. A lot of it worried me and I think I just needed to change. And changing meant changing countries and not going to another Liverpool rival. I wanted to leave and I wanted to play abroad. In the end I chose Real Madrid who at that time had just won the Champions League in 1998 and the following year, 1999, won the FIFA Club World Cup as Liverpool just won. They were officially the best team in the world, so it was not a difficult decision, choosing Real Madrid.
How did you become so popular with Real Madrid fans so quickly?
I jumped right away! He was always smiling, whether it helped or not. I didn’t learn the language out of necessity. I was learning the language, of course, and I did the best I could to learn the language. I always tried to be with the other players, if they went somewhere, I would go with them, although I didn’t understand everything they were talking about. Sometimes I felt lonely, but I already knew it would be like this. I tried to talk to the press whenever I could. I was even trying to get involved in the culture and adapt as best as possible to that lifestyle.
Were there many differences between English and Spanish soccer? And do they still exist?
No, I really didn’t think it was much different at the time. Real Madrid were a great team in LaLiga, but Liverpool were also a great team in the Premier League. The history (of Real Madrid) is very similar, the way people perceived the two clubs was very similar, the pressure to win matches was very similar due to the wonderful history of the two clubs, so it didn’t surprise me much. . Real Madrid was a very fluid team, wanting to score more and more goals, very similar to the Liverpool that I had left. The difficult thing was learning the language and traveling so much with the team, feeling quite lonely at the time. But it was never a problem for me and it was one of the things you have to deal with in order to get the most out of what you are doing.
How did you feel when Real Madrid sought to sell you?
Nobody at the club told me to be very honest. Other people told me, the agents, the people who called me. When I spoke with Florentino Pérez, he never left the impression that he wanted to sell me, so it was very easy for me to carry on with the day to day. Some of the players told me, “don’t worry, nothing is going to happen, it’s Real Madrid with a new president, trying to balance the accounts,” and things like that. That is the story that ran, but when I spoke with the club’s management, Vicente del Bosque, the coach, for example, he told me that I was not going anywhere. So, I got on with the important stuff honestly. I think they made a lot more of the story than was actually happening.
Did you ever think you were dreaming when you shared a dressing room with the Galactics?
Not at all. [The Galacticos] I joined a team that had just won two Champions League in three years and they had never won it before, so it was not a problem for me. Luis [Figo] He was very successful in Barcelona and, of course, spoke perfect Spanish. When Zizou arrived, he did not speak Spanish, only French and Italian. He was a very shy and quiet person in the locker room. I really only spoke with Claude Makelele who spoke French and Geremi from Cameroon and also spoke French. So I didn’t have that dreaming feeling at all. They were teammates and friends. They all wanted to win the same tournaments and trophies.
What would be your recommendation towards an English player who comes to LaLiga Santander?
I think it is very important to try to learn the language and get involved in the culture. Get involved in what makes a particular team great and what makes a good lifestyle. Immerse yourself in the culture.
Gareth Bale’s moment at Real Madrid is over. How would you summarize your stay at the club and do you think you will now stand out at Tottenham?
Your contribution to Real Madrid was exceptional, right? In fact, in the beginning he scored goals in important finals. He scored in each of the finals and won all those Champions. I was in the stadium when he scored that goal against Sevilla in the Copa del Rey final. He has been an impressive figure for Real Madrid and LaLiga Santander. As a player he is truly exceptional and I sincerely hope that he is a superstar at Tottenham, I really do.
I think it will contribute a lot because it has not lost any of its qualities. I know he has had some injuries at Real Madrid, but they haven’t been long-lasting. I think he will be prepared, he has a lot to show. I think he is a great signing for Tottenham. When you think of Harry Kane, Son Heung-min, and then add Gareth Bale to the mix, it automatically raises the XI to another level. If he stays fit and plays 40 or 50 games for Tottenham he will surely score 20 goals and those are numbers that cannot be bought with money. The fact that Tottenham reached this incredible deal to take the Welshman is a brilliant deal. If he shows his best level, he will take Tottenham to another level in the Premier League and other competitions this season.
I definitely think it can help Tottenham qualify for the Champions League this season. When you look at the Premier League this year, is there a better team than Arsenal? They are no worse than Arsenal. Are they better than Manchester United? For me, yes, we are seeing the way they are playing. I think what Mourinho is doing is working with the players he has brought to the team and those he has let go. You have time to focus. You will definitely have a stronger defense physically and mentally. Like I said, if Gareth stays fit, Tottenham will qualify for the Champions League.
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