Madrid boss Zidane: I never thought that the Clasico wouldn't be played

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane spoke about the situation surrounding Wednesday's Clasico at Camp Nou and says he never thought the game would be postponed for a second time. 

Protests are planned around the game due to the political situation between Spain and Catalonia, with extra security personnel drafted in to cover the match. 

"No, never," Zidane said when asked if he feared the game would be called off. "We have to put all our energy into the football pitch, and think we’ll play. That's the only way. The rest, we could talk about it all week."

Asked if he was worried about anything, he added: "Nothing worries me. I’m happy, all of us are. We’re happy to play a game like this, a Clasico. I remember when I played them. You live to play these games. I'm concentrated and focused on what happens on the pitch."

Zidane was also asked about the role of the referee in the game. 

"We have to leave the referee alone because he wants to do his job, the same as us," the French coach said. "He wants to focus on the game and do well, the same as us and Barcelona.

"A lot of things are said around it, but in the end what people want to see is a game of football."