The French coach insists his players gave their all against the third-tier side but is unsure if they will continue to back him
Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane has accepted responsibility for his side’s shock defeat to Alcoyano in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday.
Despite Eder Militao giving the Spanish giants the lead before half-time in the round of 32 tie, third-tier side Alcoyano took the game into extra time with an 80th minute goal from Jose Solbes.
The game took a turn for the worse for the minnows when Ramon Lopez was sent off in the second half of extra time, but Juanan popped up to net the winner and take his side into the last-16.
The result comes less than a week after his side were knocked out of the Supercopa de Espana semi-finals by Athletic Club and a 0-0 draw with Osasuna in La Liga preceded that result.
Wednesday’s stunning upset will only increase pressure on Zidane, who defended his players – though he admits he is not sure if he still has their support.
“I think so but you have to ask them [if I still have their support],” he said at a press conference.
“We have done good things, not so much lately, but apart from the last games we did good things this season. We have to concentrate on the things that can be done.
“When you lose, you always talk. I take responsibility and whatever has to happen, will happen. I am very calm, the players wanted to win the game. They try and sometimes different things happen. You have to assume responsibility.
“I am going to assume it, as always. The players have tried and if we score the second goal it is another match, football is like that. The goalkeeper has made two or three saves and didn’t allow us to score the second goal. But I have the responsibility. We are out.”
The French coach says his side tried their hardest in the Copa clash and felt they had enough chances to win the game.
“We have tried, I think the players have left everything on the field. We had chances and when you don’t put them in, what happened to us can happen,” he said.
“It is a difficult moment, we are out of the Copa, we had to do something else but we couldn’t. The players have tried. This is football, it is very difficult because we played against a Segunda B team and we have to win the game, but it didn’t go like that.
“It’s not a shame, it can happen, it happens, these are things that happen in a football career. I assume responsibility and we will continue working. We will not go crazy.”
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