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Alcoy / Madrid (dpa) - Even Joker Toni Kroos could no longer prevent the embarrassment of the royal team: After Real Madrid's 1: 2 shock against third division club CC Alcoyano, the discussion about the future of coach Zinedine Zidane has flared up again, according to media reports.
"Marca" headlined: "The Zidane stage at Real is coming to an end" and added: "If he can save himself this time, it would be a miracle."
The criticism is getting louder.
"To everyone's displeasure, Real Madrid and Zidane hardly win any wins in the 2020-21 season and the footballing and emotional rollercoaster ride, which has now reached a new low, brings the Marseille coach to the edge of the abyss," wrote the sports newspaper. AS ».
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Zidane had been able to free himself from similar calamities before, "AS" wrote on.
"But every new misstep undermines the association's trust in him," warned the newspaper.
"To be eliminated from the cup with a defeat against a club like Alcoyano is particularly painful and increases the tension around the person of Zizou, who is again in the air."
Zidane is not thinking of resigning.
After the game, the coach tried to downplay the scope of the defeat and to take the Spanish record champions' players out of the line of fire.
“It's not a disgrace or anything.
These are things that happen in a footballer's career and I will take responsibility for them.
We will continue to work, ”said the 48-year-old Frenchman after the cup.
“When you lose, people always talk.
Whatever has to happen will happen.
I'm calm, "assured" Zizou "and said:" All defeats are painful. "
Without the national player Kroos, who was only substituted in the 98th minute, and other regulars, the royal team in Alcoy had taken the lead through Eder Militao (45th minute).
José Solbes Jordà scored in the 80th minute to equalize for the blatant underdog, Juan Antonio Casanova Vidal scored the winning goal in the 115th minute.
And outnumbered!
Because Ramón López Olivan had seen yellow-red at Alcoyano five minutes earlier.
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Things are going better in the league, with six wins and only one defeat in the last ten games in the Primera Division.
Real are second behind city rivals Atlético, but are already four points behind - and Atlético still have two catch-up games.
«I think my players trust me, but you have to ask the players that.
We haven't done a few good things lately, but we've also done some good things this season, ”said Zidane.
"We have to remember that we are still in the league and in the Champions League," said the 1998 world champion.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210121-99-112089 / 4
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"AS"
"Marca"