MADRID, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- Many Real Madrid players expressed their disappointment when Zinedine Zidane confirmed he was stepping down as coach at the end of last season after leading the club to their third consecutive Champions League title, however, midfielder Dani Ceballos clearly doesn't miss the Frenchman.
Signed from Betis a year ago after a fine display in the European Under-21 Championship, Ceballos spent a frustrating first season with Real Madrid, playing under 400 minutes in the whole league campaign.
The departure of Mateo Kovacic and the arrival of Julen Lopetegui as Real Madrid coach appears to have changed the 22-year-old's fortunes and Ceballos not only finds himself in the first team picture, but also named in the Spain squad to face England and Switzerland.
"I was on holiday when the news about Lopetegui broke... I wasn't expecting it, but I think he's the best coach we could have," said Ceballos on Spanish radio.
The midfielder said the former Spain coach was "trying to impose his style of play. It's different from last year, he wants a serious team that doesn't let its rivals create chances and is ambitions with the ball."
"He likes us to have long possessions and to attack quickly. We are adapting to that and we can see a Madrid that is playing well," commented the midfielder.
Ceballos also discussed his relationship with Zidane saying the Frenchman was "the one who has to explain why he didn't give me chances."
"I worked hard, but there is a moment when you see it's impossible. I scored two goals in Vitoria and in the next game I played one minute. There was a moment when I gave the season up for lost."
Ceballos said he has even gone as far as contracting a personal trainer "because I wasn't playing Wednesday or Sunday and my intensity was falling. If Zidane had stayed, it's obvious I would have looked to leave, but Julen's arrival chanced everything," commented Ceballos.
