Zidane responds to resignation rumours
Zinedine Zidane insisted he does not know what is going to happen concerning his future at Real Madrid, but did little to quell talk of him quitting amid rumours of an impending resignation.
ZIdane has a contract with Madrid until the end of next season but reports have suggested he will end his second stint as the club's coach prematurely even if it wins LaLiga. Madrid trails city rival Atletico Madrid by two points with two games remaining.
Talk of him departing was predictably a hot topic ahead of Monday's (AEST) visit to Athletic Club, with Zidane adamant his future is not in his thinking as Los Blancos bid to retain the title.
"I'm going to answer the same thing," he said. "It's boring because of what I always say, playing both games ... It's the truth, I don't know what's going to happen.
"I am here, yes, tomorrow we are going to play and the last game will be missing [from his thinking]. The rest I do not know, anything can happen, it is Real Madrid.
"My strength is from day to day, I do not see myself beyond day to day. I do not look at the past or the future, it is the present to the fullest."
However, asked if he was "making it easy for the club", Zidane appeared to drop several hints that this spell as coach is about to come to a close.
"Maybe you think I'm quitting because I'm taking responsibility or I'm quitting because things get complicated. Never, nothing," Zidane replied.
"The only thing is that what I do, I do it to the max. And there comes a time when things ... It's time to change. But for everyone, not for me. For the good of the players, the club, the people.
"I don't let go because it's easy to say that I take off, turn around and don't want to look at them, moments are like that. There are moments when you have to be and others when you have to change."
Madrid has not lost a league game since January, but damaging draws with Getafe, Real Betis and Sevilla have left it needing a slip-up from Atletico to tilt the title race in its favour.
It has won 10 of its past 15 away games against Athletic but Los Leones coach Marcelino has won his past two meetings against Madrid.
"We have to watch and do what we can control, which is our game," Zidane said. "In the rest we don't know what will happen.
"The important thing is to keep adding and we want to win the three points. We are going to be playing against a very good opponent, he is doing very well and we will try to give everything."
