With Ronaldo, anything is possible —Zidane

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane has told UEFA.com “anything’s possible” with Cristiano Ronaldo in his team ahead of next weekend’s Champions League final.

The Los Blancos are looking to become the first team to retain the Champions League title when they take on Juventus in Cardiff.

Ronaldo became the first player to score 100 goals in the competition earlier this season, and also notched his 400th goal for the club in all competitions, and helped them to win La Liga for the first time since 2012.

“As you well know, there are no words that can do Cristiano Ronaldo justice,” Zidane said. “He shows what he’s all about every time he’s on the pitch, by scoring goals.

“He’s now got more than 400 goals for Real Madrid in all competitions These are unbelievable stats, but with him anything’s possible.”

Zidane also explained how giving Ronaldo periods of rest has helped him to excel in the latter stages of the season.

“It’s a decision we made together, based on discussions together,” he said. “We’re intelligent and even he sometimes needs to play a bit less.

“It’s not because he isn’t as physically fit, but because he wants to head into the final stage of the season, when everything is at stake, in top form.

“He has played a lot this year, but there have been a few occasions when he has been left out to have a breather. Now he’s in fantastic shape for what remains of the campaign.

“It isn’t just about this year, it’s the accumulation of all the seasons in his career in which he has played 60 or 70 matches. It gets to the point where you need to take a breather.”

Zidane also had words of praise for Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.

“I think it’s about what he has achieved. He’s a born leader,” Zidane said. “He has been an extraordinary player throughout his career.

“He’s a leader on the pitch and a great captain. In terms of everything he has said about players that he has met, he has always looked out for his fellow professionals.

“That shows you the sort of person he is, besides being a great goalkeeper and leader.”