Zidane unfazed by Mourinho speculation

Jose Mourinho has been linked with his job but Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane was in bullish mood ahead of his side's clash with Sevilla.

Zinedine Zidane has come under scrutiny after Real Madrid won just two of its four La Liga games so far this season.

Under-fire coach Zinedine Zidane insists he has no regrets about returning to Real Madrid and says he is not affected by speculation that Jose Mourinho could replace him.

The Frenchman has struggled to rekindle the magic that saw him win three consecutive Champions League titles between 2016 and 2018 since replacing Santiago Solari in March.

READ | Mourinho quashes Madrid talk due to respect for Zidane

Los Blancos have won just two of their four La Liga games so far this season and slipped to a humbling 3-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday.

That defeat has led to fresh questions about his future, with the Madrid board rumoured to be considering swapping Zidane for former boss Mourinho.

However, Zidane says he is unfazed by the speculation and remains focused on preparing his side to face Sevilla in La Liga on Sunday.

"If I read the press, it says I'm gone," he told a media conference. "I feel strong. I have learned to never back down and to keep working until the very last moment.

"I'm not thinking about leaving. I'm only thinking of winning tomorrow. The difficulties that they speak of on the outside are something we can't control.

"I made the decision to come back because I liked the look of the new project. Now I am here, I will try. We have to be together to achieve our objectives."

Asked about speculation that Mourinho could replace him, Zidane added: "It doesn't bother me to hear about Mourinho; it is what it is. Here, you lose one game and you have to change everything."

Sevilla are top of LaLiga after three wins from their opening four games and Zidane says his players need to continue working hard if they are to return to winning ways.

"We must give everything we can to win the game," he said. "It's a difficult stadium but it's always going to be like that. We have to keep working hard, prepare well for games and change things around. That's football. We have a chance to change it round quickly. That's what helps me get through.

"We can't talk about everything that goes on outside the club and respond to all the criticism."