Zidane 'not scared' of Man City

Zidane claims his side does not fear Guardiola's Man City. [Courtesy]

Zinedine Zidane hailed Pep Guardiola as the world's best coach – but insists he and his players are not scared by the Manchester City boss.

Real Madrid boss Zidane declared Guardiola as the best boss, even though he has won the Champions League more times than his opposite number.

Guardiola won the Champions League twice as a coach with Barcelona, while Zidane led Real to three successive triumphs in the competition.

But Guardiola has been successful in Spain, Germany, and England, with Zidane claiming this sets the 49-year-old apart from every other coach.

Asked if Guardiola was the best coach, Zidane said: “Yeah, because he's shown that over the years, at Barca, Bayern and now City. That's my opinion.

“Some people can think other coaches are better but, for me, he's the best. “Obviously we're inspired by his previous achievements, but it doesn't scare us.

“I spent time with him at Bayern, we discussed his way of working and I learned a lot when I talked to him.

The Madrid boss hailed Guardiola as the best coach in the world. [Courtesy]

“He's a great coach and we obviously take inspiration from what they do well. The feeling is not fear at all though, it's the opposite.

“It was great to spend time with him, he was sincere, open, and with someone like that, you can always learn things.

“There were a lot of conversations. Right now I can't say what we talked about, I can't say what I took from them or used afterward.

“But it was a great experience and I enjoyed it very much. But it's Madrid against City, not Zidane against Guardiola.

“It will be a great game, we always want to play games like this, and we'll do our best to come away with a good result.” Real skipper Sergio Ramos expects Guardiola and his players to be even more fired up tonight, with City banned from the Champions League for the next two years.

Ramos said: “Obviously it's bad news for the players that want to keep playing in the competition.

“But it's also a good way for them to have the motivation and to show what they're capable of.”