Valverde: Zidane's return to Real Madrid, not a question for me

Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-13 10:42:13|Editor: Liu
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MADRID, March 12 (Xinhua) -- FC Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde on Tuesday said he preferred not to pay much attention to Zinedine Zidane's return as Real Madrid coach when he spoke to the press ahead of his side's Champions League tie against Olympique Lyon, which will be in the Camp Nou Stadium on Wednesday night.

"Zidane is a great coach and he has gone to a great club and we will play against him. It's not a decision for me to understand or not; everyone makes their own decisions. He's made his and I suppose, we'll face each other in the future," was all the Barca boss would saw.

However, Valverde used Madrid's Champions League exit against Ajax last week, as well as Paris Saint-Germain's defeat to Manchester United to highlight that his side had to take Lyon's threat seriously.

"You notice things are different; the Champions League is different and you can feel it," he said.

"Tomorrow we have to play 90 minutes and anything can happen; you can have a moment of something great or bad luck: we are ready to play well and to pressure our rivals' goal. We will always do everything possible to try and qualify," he said.

Valverde admitted that his side was "under pressure," to qualify and said that if his side created as many chances as in the first leg, which ended 0-0 they would qualify.

He was asked about winger Ousmane Dembele, who ended Saturday's win at home to Rayo Vallecano with a hamstring strain, but gave little away over whether or not he would be available.

"If he's OK, he'll be with us and if not, then we'll wait. It is a vital game and we can't run the risk of needing to change him. I don't worry about it beyond making the right decision about his replacement," the Barca coach said.

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