Zidane: Liverpool will not surprise us and our hunger cannot be questioned

After Jurgen Klopp's press conference yesterday, this morning was the turn of Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane.

Like Klopp, this game comes at the end of two and a half seasons in charge of his current club, but for Zidane - this is his 3rd consecutive Champions League final.

He picked up the baton from Rafa Benitez in January 2016, and went on to beat city rivals Atletico Madrid on penalties in the final in May 2016.

A year later his Real Madrid side demolished Juventus 4-1 to land the club's 12th European crown.

On Saturday he is aiming for the hat-trick, what would be an astonishing 13th European title for Los Blancos but elevating him to become the first manager to win three consecutive European cups and also joining Bob Paisley and Carlo Ancelotti with three wins in total.

In his press interview today Zidane doubted that Liverpool's desire could be greater than Madrid's in the final.

"I can't talk about our opponents, I don't know how they are (feeling).

"We have and we will always have the same enthusiasm, the same determination, and the same desire as always. No one can tell us that we are less hungry than anyone else.

"We are Madrid and this club is what we have, we always want more and we will give everything to achieve that in the best way."

"They [Liverpool] have had a great season, in the Champions League and in the [Premier] League.

"They can cause us problems, we know that. We are not going to be surprised. Nor them with us. We know each other very well."

"They are a team who have made it to the final, they deserve it as we do. My job is to try to prepare the match well, as always, and note the weakness of the opponent and try to hurt them."

Zidane was asked about the wealth of team selection options available to him.

"I have 25 players and everyone has to have an opportunity because otherwise my message is not valid.

"(Bale, Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo) for me are the best, by far they have shown more often that they are very good, but then there is the day-to-day and I have to do what I say to my group, I have to show it with my selection.

"That doesn't mean that the three of them won't play together again. I'm not going to tell you who is going to play.

"Sometimes my head hurts, really, because they are all good."

Zidane also brushed off a cheeky question about whether he would trade Ronaldo for Salah.

No, I have Cristiano and I talk about my players.

Real Madrid travel to Kiev on Thursday and will stay at the five star Opera Hotel on the banks of the Dnieper River, less than two miles away from the stadium.

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