See Real Madrid’s Interim manager Santiago Solari First Message

The interim manager of Real Madrid, Santiago Solari has urged his players to show the mental strength that has made them ‘champions’.

Santiago Solari, a former player for between 2000 and 2005, was the coach of Madrid’s second string Castilla side, but now inherits the Bernabeu first side after Julen Lopetegui was sent packing on Monday night.

In his first chat with the media on Tuesday, Solari said: ”This is a group of champions and they are hurting at the moment.

It is not an easy situation but we must reverse it.

”This is a delicate moment but it is in these situations when your true character comes to the fore.

”Going through life is like this job, everything can change very quickly. The important is the day to day work and what we put into it.”

”Working for Real Madrid is a great opportunity,’ he continued. ”I sweated every last drop when playing for the club like many others.”

Solari arrived in the job the same way Zinedine Zidane, but the 42-year-old has been keen to play down comparisons between the two.

”Zidane is an all-time great and we will leave it at that, we cannot compare ourselves to him.”