Zidane denies rift with Mourinho

Real Madrid sporting director Zinedine Zidane has denied rumours that he fails to see eye to eye with club boss Jose Mourinho. Reports in Marca last month suggested that Zidane was unhappy at being sidelined by Mourinho, however, he has rubbished such stories.

 "I have no problem with Mourinho," Zidane told Sport365. "On the contrary, I have learned a lot from him." The ex-France international has also stated his reasoning for not being around the club's Valdebebas training facility each day currently as he is preparing to become a qualified coach..


 "At Real I learned what a great club it is from the inside," he said. "My passion is to be on the field day to day so I have decided to return to France to study.

 I am studying so that I become a great coach. I believe the way to be a great coach these days is to be a great manager of the dressing-room.

 That is fundamental." Zidane, memorably sent off in his last international appearance for headbutting Italy's Marco Materazzi in the 2006 World Cup final, says his ambition is to eventually manage the French senior team some day. "I want to become the French national boss," he said. "That is the dream of every citizen of this country, but that is a long way off yet.