Marcelino: Madrid no better since Benitez departure

Villarreal coach Marcelino has not seen any significant improvement from Real Madrid since Rafael Benitez was replaced by Zinedine Zidane at the helm.

Zidane took over from Benitez in January with Madrid in third position, four points off the summit, but, with 10 games remaining, the gap has grown to 12.

And Marcelino, who reiterated his desire to take charge of Spain in the future with Vicente del Bosque set to retire after Euro 2016, questioned the decision to switch coaches at the Santiago Bernabeu.

"Of course, I would like to be national team coach, it would be the greatest pride for any coach, anyone would like to lead the national team," Marcelino said on Cadena SER.

"But now I feel more like a club coach – I need the day to day [work] and close competition. To be national team coach there are other coaches, like Rafa Benitez, with experience and who have won titles.

"He arrived at Real Madrid in a difficult situation, but I do not think the team have improved a lot since he left. I say what I think from watching Real Madrid play. The Bernabeu is hard because Madrid is far away in La Liga and out of the Copa [del Rey]."

However, Marcelino does not believe Villarreal, who sit fourth, will be able to close the seven-point gap to Madrid and take third spot.

"It is impossible to be third. The big teams win at half-pace and we need to give 200 per cent to win," he added.