Liverpool will not have more hunger to win Saturday’s Champions League final than opponents Real Madrid, says the Spanish side’s manager Zinedine Zidane.
Real have won the competition three times in the last four seasons, while Liverpool’s last success was in 2005. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has spoken about his side’s “desire” overcoming 12-times winners Real.
However, Zidane countered: “You can’t say Liverpool have more hunger than us – it simply isn’t true.” The Frenchman, 45, added: “Nobody can take our hunger away from us. We will give our all to get more.
“We always have the same desire as we always do and nobody can say we don’t. “We’re in a third final and we have the chance to do something historic.”
The last team to win the competition – formerly known as the European Cup – was Bayern Munich between 1974 and 1976. Real won the trophy five times in its first five years of inception (1956-1960).
Zidane believes forward Cristiano Ronaldo will have the “most possible” influence in the final in Kiev as the Portugal international “is the best so it will be the maximum”.
However, the Bernabeu boss has a decision to make over whether Gareth Bale starts after the Wales international forward’s five goals in his last four starts.
“He is playing very well, he has scored many goals recently,” said Zidane. “Not only that but he has been very consistent. He has not played so much, but the last three games he has played he has played well.”
Zidane called Klopp’s work “formidable” and says Liverpool “got to the final and deserve to be there, just like us”.
He added: “Everyone speaks about the three up front (Roberto Firmino, Mohamed Salah, and Sadio Mane) and says they’re less at the back, but they’re a team unit.
“My work with the staff is to prepare for the game well, as we always do, and try to do the damage.”
Source: BBC News