WhoScored.com sat down with former Real Madrid midfielder and France international Christian Karembeu in Amsterdam to discuss the this season's Champions League and France's chances at Euro 2016.
WS: We’re looking for a 5-aside team from this season’s Champions League
CK: Wow! Five? Only five?
WS: We can do eleven…
CK: Eleven. Ok. So, in front I will put Suarez. I will put on the right, Cristiano. On the left, Neymar. In the middle, Messi.
So behind… Could be Pogba and Busquets together. I love the goalie of Chelsea. Of course, Courtois. On the right of defence I would put Alaba. In the middle Mascherano and Ramos. On the left, maybe Ricardo Rodriguez. He is up and down. He’s a good boy.
WS: Who will win this season’s Champions League?
CK: Real Madrid. The man who bets on Gent will be a billionaire!
WS: What do you think Zidane can do to push Real Madrid forward?
CK: First of all I think it’s important to be realistic. Already in La Liga he cannot win except if Barcelona crash so I think the main goal today is the Champions League and the club will focus on that because already for the cup there was another incident [disqualifed from Copa del Rey]!
I think the expectations are solely focused on the Champions League because it’s already two years since the club has won anything, so I think this is the main area where Zidane is going to push his team. I know that for Cristiano or Bale, these big athletes and top players, they need to have some results.
WS: What did you make of Cristiano Ronaldo’s controversial comments about his teammates?
CK: For me it’s not controversial. It’s part of his character. It’s part of his philosophy as a winner and I think he just meant that he is not a loser and he wants everyone to be able to play at his level because he is a workaholic. I think he just wanted to boost them by shaking them and for the media it’s controversial but I think you have to speak to the people around him who respect him as he’s trying to lead by example, also in training and the dressing room.
WS: Do you think Zidane would have appreciated Ronaldo giving the team that push with his comments?
I know Zidane is a perfectionist. We knew that when we were playing with him we need to be at the top of our game to give him balls and the best assists to support him. If not he will turn to say ‘where is the ball guys’. It’s normal.
WS: Ronaldo has the record for the most number of goals in a Champions League season (17). Do you think he will beat that?
CK: This is why he made those comments. He always wants to be better, to play for longer. I would like him to break the record because that means he can go to the final and we can have the answer! He is going to score 23 goals. No problem!
WS: Moving on to the Euros, has anyone impressed you that isn’t actually in the France squad but deserves a place?
CK: I know that Didier (Deschamps) is trying to build a better team because the expectation is very big for us by hosting the Euros. In the past we have always won at home but hopefully there will be no pressure for the team because they are young. They are very young.
In our time during the Euros and the World Cup we were very mature. We had Henry and Trezeguet who were 18 years old but the rest of us were at least 28. I hope we get a good balance again this time but although they are young they are playing in big teams. The surprise could be from Ben Arfa or Payet or Griezmann, because of course we expect Giroud or Benzema to come back. I think these three guys could help the team get to the latter stages but of course it is the coach who has to decide.
WhoScored.com thanks Heineken for helping set up this interview with Christian Karembeu
