Hat-trick hero Ronaldo wins Zidane plaudits
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Article summary
Zinédine Zidane described Cristiano Ronaldo as "the best player in the world" after his hat-trick for a Real Madrid side Wolfsburg's Dieter Hecking acknowledged were superior.
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Article body
- Cristiano Ronaldo scores hat-trick as Madrid overturn 2-0 first-leg deficit
- Zinédine Zidane: "We had to be intense but with cool heads"
- Ten-time winners Real Madrid reach semi-finals for sixth successive season
- Ronaldo takes season's tally to 16 in this competition, one off his own 2013/14 record
- Semi-final draw on Friday at 11.30CET, streamed live on UEFA.com
Zinédine Zidane, Real Madrid coach
I feel we have done a good job. It was not easy. I'm very proud of the players and what they did. It was a special night and we got what we were looking for. Cristiano Ronaldo is proving he is the best player in the world. He also needs his team-mates and wants to talk about what they have done together. He is special because not every player can score three goals in one match.
We started with intensity – we had to be intense but with cool heads. My message was to be patient. It's not easy to score three goals against this team. I thank the fans for what they did for the team tonight.
It's my best night as a coach. My players did incredibly well after the result in the first leg. We have to rest well because we have another important match on Saturday. I know how football is and I'm happy with what I'm doing. I know there will be more difficult moments but you have to be calm. I know how difficult is to be a coach. I have a fantastic team with me. I keep learning. I like what I do.
Dieter Hecking, Wolfsburg coach
Real Madrid deserved to progress. We weren't able to deliver two good performances – we didn't fully understand what we had to do. The first goal was a lost ball. We should have defended better. We needed one goal. I congratulate Real Madrid because they were better.
We conceded two goals from dead-ball situations, so we didn't defend well. The players had great expectations. We are disappointed, but we have to keep our heads up in the Bundesliga. We have grown as a team in the UEFA Champions League and people will remember our matches. We have to find what we need to keep on advancing and having more nights like this. We will leave Madrid proud.
