Zinedine Zidane insists Cristiano Ronaldo is fit to spearhead Real Madrid’s challenge for their 11th European crown in Milan on Saturday night.
The Portuguese, who has scored 16 goals in this campaign’s competition to leave himself just one behind his own single-season record, has been struggling for fitness since suffering a hamstring injury against Villarreal last month.
He missed the semi-final first leg against Manchester City with a recurrence of the problem, and gave Los Blancos another scare by leaving Tuesday’s training session early after a collision with reserve goalkeeper Kiko Casilla.
But Zidane last night claimed the club’s leading scorer has completely recovered.
“Cristiano is fine, 100 per cent,” he said. “He had a little problem, but it wasn’t the same as in Manchester. He’s fine. Even if he wasn’t, this is a final so he would play.”
The final between the two Madrid rivals is being widely billed as Atletico’s determined team unit going up against Real’s more technically-skilled but individualistic superstars, however the French coach was eager to dispel the notion that his team will be outworked.
Diego Simeone’s side are often portrayed as specialists in the art of triumphing in the face of adversity, but Zidane said: “We know how to suffer as well, and to win the game no doubt we will have to.
“In a final it’s normal to have difficulties during the game, but if you want to win you have to go through periods when you suffer.
“Nobody knows what will happen but we are very prepared to play this game. We have to run, run and run.”
Zidane also believes that no conclusions should be drawn from his team’s poor recent record against Atletico, including a 1-0 home league defeat in their most recent meeting in February.
“Three months have passed since then and we are better in every way,” he added. “But this doesn’t mean anything in a final. There are no favourites.”
The rookie boss has plenty of experience of high-profile occasions, having appeared in three Champions League finals, two World Cup finals and one European Championship final during a magnificent playing career.
He was also on the bench for Real’s last Champions League triumph, serving as Carlo Ancelotti’s assistant during the 4-1 extra-time victory over Atletico in Lisbon two years ago.
And he joked: “I’m a bit stressed right now because I have to answer all these questions! “When the match begins I will be a bit more tense but that’s normal too – it’s a part of coaching. I like this kind of pressure. I’ve experienced it as a player but as a coach it’s completely different. Carlo Ancelotti used to tell me that often.
“He told me before the final in Lisbon: ‘I hope you experience this someday as head coach.’ Here we are, so I keep thinking of Carlo.”
