Real Madrid's French coach Zinedine Zidane holds a press conference at the Ciudad Real Madrid training ground in Madrid, on Feb 25, 2020, on the eve of their UEFA Champions League football match against Manchester City. (OSCAR DEL POZO / AFP)

MADRID - Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane warmly praised Manchester City's Pep Guardiola in his press conference ahead of the first leg of the Champions League tie between the two sides on Wednesday night.

Guardiola's past with FC Barcelona has always meant he has been viewed as 'public enemy number one' by Real Madrid fans, but Zidane was quick to point out that the game had nothing to do with his side's traditional rival.

Others may think there are better coaches and there are a lot of coaches, but I think he's the best

Zinedine Zidane, Coach, Real Madrid

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"It is a Real Madrid-Manchester City game, it's not Guardiola against Zidane," he said, adding "it is a game of football and that is what people want to see."

The Madrid coach was asked why many consider Guardiola is the best coach in the world and replied that his opposite number had "always shown that he is: first at Barcelona, then at Bayern Munich and then at Manchester City... That's my opinion. Others may think there are better coaches and there are a lot of coaches, but I think he's the best," he replied.

Zidane explained that in 2015 he had even spent time in Munich watching Guardiola at work.

"We are inspired by what he did and that is what motivates us. I was with him several days when he was at Bayern, we spoke about training sessions and how he manages the team and he was very honest," he explained.

Manchester City's Spanish manager Pep Guardiola gestures during the English Premier League football match between Leicester City and Manchester City at King Power Stadium in Leicester, central England on Feb 22, 2020. (OLI SCARFF / AFP)

Manchester City travels to Madrid after receiving a two-year ban from UEFA for financial irregularities, meaning that unless the club wins an appeal this will be their last chance in the competition until 2022.

We have the desire to be ourselves. We can win, we can lose but we must try to be ourselves in these 180 minutes we have to face Real Madrid

Pep Guardiola, Manager, Manchester City

Zidane said he didn't know whether that circumstance would make City more dangerous or not, but warned, the reigning Premier League Champions are "a very good team and they have shown that and they are coming here to play their game. We have to play well and give everything... It is an attractive game, I am certain about that," commented the Real Madrid coach.

Guardiola ready

"I played many times against them as a player and a manager and I always had an incredible admiration for the history of this club," said Guardiola.

"I know how difficult it is against the quality of their players. I don't know how many finals they have played in or how many times they have lifted the trophy," added the coach, who said his side were facing the "kings of this competition".

However, the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss also said his City side were confident and would stick to their passing game.

"We have the desire to be ourselves. We can win, we can lose but we must try to be ourselves in these 180 minutes we have to face Real Madrid," he commented.

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Neither side will have been happy with the draw, but Guardiola said that if his team wanted to win the Champions League, "we have to face these teams sooner or later".

"Today it is the last 16, but it might be the quarterfinals, semifinals or final. You have to beat Real or Barcelona or Bayern; you have to beat the big clubs in these competitions," added the Manchester City coach.