Zidane hits out at Asian tour torture

Real Madrid's French playmaker Zinedine Zidane felt the club's pre-season tour of the Far East hampered preparations for the new season.

The Spanish champions spent three weeks in China, Japan and Thailand in an attempt to win over new fans.

However, Zidane feels four matches in nine days was not the right build-up to Real's hunt for domestic and European honours.

"The work was not hard enough during those three weeks in Asia," the World Cup winner told France Football in an interview to be published Tuesday.

"After each match, we went to bed late, we got up early and headed for the airport. In these conditions, it was impossible to do real pre-season training. It was more a matter of recuperation."

"That's how it is, you have to accept it, even if travelling between matches and not training too much isn't necessarily the best preparation for a big season."

The French midfielder also touched on the matter of his retirement date.

"During a press conference in China, I quoted 2005, the end of my contract with Real Madrid. That was a bit daft on my part. In fact, it's not certain. I've still not fixed a precise date."

"In 2005, I'll be 33, perhaps that will be the right time. If I'm still any good, it'll be a year or two later," said the Real midfielder, who wants to "stop at the the top and not on the way down."