Zidane showcases selective memory: 'I never lost my head as a player'

Zinedine Zidane either doesn't remember, or doesn't want to remember, one of the most iconic moments in World Cup history.

Speaking after his Real Madrid side defeated Wolfsburg 3-0 on Tuesday - overturning a 2-0 first-leg deficit and reaching the Champions League semi-finals as a result - Zidane extolled the benefit of maintaining a calm demeanour as a manager; something, he says, he exhibited during his playing days.

Related: Ronaldo nets hat trick as Real Madrid fights back to eliminate Wolfsburg

"There can be difficult moments, but you must be relaxed when that happens," Zidane said, reflecting on Tuesday's contest at the Santiago Bernabeu. "You should not go crazy, as anything can happen in football. I never lost my head as a player, and will never do so as a coach."

The 2006 World Cup final, when Zidane headbutted Italy's Marco Materazzi in the chest and was sent off in extra time, must have just slipped his mind.

In fairness to the iconic Frenchman, despite some blips in his young tenure with Los Blancos, he certainly seems to exude a sense of control on the sidelines.

"I am not naive, I know there will be difficult moments, we already had some. We just need to be able to manage them properly. That is what I try to do," he said. "I have a great group, wonderful staff with me. I just keep on learning and moving forward. I like what I do and that is the most important thing."

Moving forward, right into the semi-finals of Europe's most illustrious club competition.