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‘Pep is Pep’ – Zidane dismisses Guardiola comparisons

by nadum 7 Jan , 2016  

The Bayern Munich coach took over at Barcelona in similar fashion after impressing with their reserve team and delivered a period of unprecedented success at Camp Nou.Zinedine Zidane dismissed comparisons being made between him and former Barcelonacoach Pep Guardiola after taking charge at Real Madrid.

Like Guardiola in Catalonia, Zidane ascends to the top job at the Santiago Bernabeu having impressed the club hierarchy with his work managing their ‘B’ team.

The Bayern Munich boss subsequently oversaw a period of unprecedented success at Camp Nou, winning the Champions League twice in four seasons.

“You can’t make that comparison,” Zidane said at his first press conference. “Pep is Pep and I will do my best.

“Guardiola is a fantastic coach and what he is doing is impressive but I won’t compare myself to him. I didn’t do that as a player and I won’t do it as a coach.”

Zidane, who has agreed a two-and-a-half-year deal, says he feels “kind of prepared” for one of the most demanding jobs in club management.

“What is important is what I will try to do to add to the squad,” he continued. “I will try my best so that we work hard.

“I have good feelings, but a coach is never fully prepared, especially one who has not been at this level before, but I feel kind of prepared.

“I have motivation, hope and all that will help me and help everything to go well.”

Zidane worked as an assistant under Carlo Ancelotti for the 2013-14 season having initially been brought back into the fold as a special adviser by Jose Mourinho in 2010.

“It’s true I knew Mourinho and Ancelotti and had many coaches as a player and I think I took something from each of them,” he said.

“They were experienced coaches so it was important to learn from them.

“I need to be a coach my way. Each of them would say that you should do the thing that’s right for your team and your players, not what another coach is doing. I have to be Zidane.

Goal.com

 

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