Real Madrid president Florentino Perez hailed coach Zinedine Zidane in the wake of their penalty shoot-out victory over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League final.
Zidane replaced Rafael Benitez at the Santiago Bernabeu helm midway through the season and the former France international led his team to European glory within five months on Saturday.
Zidane replaced Rafael Benitez at the Santiago Bernabeu helm midway through the season and the former France international led his team to European glory within five months on Saturday.
Sergio Ramos gifted Madrid a first-half lead, before Yannick Carrasco levelled the scoring after the break to send the game into extra time.
Penalties eventually decided the match at San Siro, with Cristiano Ronaldo firing his team to their 11th European Cup success after Juanfran missed from the spot.
And afterwards Perez was full of praise for Zidane, who became the seventh man to win Europe’s elite club competition as a player and as a manager .
“I feel very proud to be president of Real Madrid right now,” Perez told reporters.
“Zidane has been very important for Real Madrid. He told me the same thing he told me back in 2001: ‘I got it, president.’ The players will go to Cibeles tonight to celebrate.
“Every season is difficult. We fought right until the final whistle. The Champions League is in Madrid’s DNA. It is the most important competition for us.”
On Ronaldo he added: “The whole world knows that I want Cristiano to stay at Madrid for the rest of his life. He is one of the pillars of this club.”
Atletico were beaten in the European Cup final for the third time in their history, but Perez had words of encouragement for Real’s fierce rivals.
“Atletico Madrid have shown over the past few years that they are at a very high level,” he added.
“Someday they will win the Champions”
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