Zidane: It's my decision that Real Madrid won't make a guard of honour for Barcelona

Posted Sunday, April 08, 2018 by Marca.com

Real Madrid will not make a guard of honour for Barcelona at the Camp Nou if the Catalans have won LaLiga by their meeting on the weekend of May 6, according to Zinedine Zidane.

Evidently unhappy at their Clasico rivals' refusal to do so following Real's Club World Cup success in December, the Frenchman blames Barcelona for 'breaking the tradition'.

"I don't know how much you are going to ask me but my response is very clear," Zidane said to reporters on Saturday.

"It is my decision and that is it.

"I don't understand the guard of honour and it won't take place, although we are far from the end of the season.

"Barcelona broke the tradition."

Sunday sees Real face Atletico Madrid in the capital's derby with Zidane asked why he thinks this game has turned into a fight for second place, given his side's sluggish LaLiga campaign.

"There is no explanation, there have been times this season when things didn't go well for us," he stated.

"It happened to us for a long time, especially when we couldn't score goals. We have always worked in the same way and sometimes things don't work out, but we have to keep working.

"It is true that we had a very difficult start, we cannot change that and we can only do what we are doing: playing well. In the league, also, we want to finish the season well."

Zidane is yet to beat Atleti at home in the league and he admitted that Los Rojiblancos fully deserve to be above his side at this point of the season.

"We are going to concentrate on tomorrow's game," the coach stated. "We are going to think about the three points, we want to try to cut the points gap.

"Atletico deserve to be where they are. They are second, and what we can do is cut that gap."

Set to start at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu is Gareth Bale and the Blancos boss was questioned on why it appeared the Welshman didn't celebrate Madrid's goals at Juventus in the week.

"I hear that he is not well mentally, and that could be true, but he is fine," asserted Zidane. "The players want to play in every game and always will.

"We know who he is, who he has been, what he has done.

"Everyone is important, those who played did so very well, so it is complicated. I have to make decisions but it doesn't mean that someone who doesn't play two games cannot contribute. I still think they are important.

"My feeling is that he will stay, but anything can happen. He won't lose motivation, he is just like everyone else.

"It is true that others played and they did very well, that is football."