Sunday 29 May 2016 09:52, UK
Gareth Bale has praised Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane for giving his side the confidence to win the Champions League.
Real's 11th European Cup crown came in a penalty shoot-out victory over Atletico Madrid in Milan on Saturday, following a 1-1 draw.
Bale, who scored in the shoot-out despite suffering from cramp in the latter stages, was full of praise for the Frenchman, who replaced the sacked Rafa Benitez in January.
Bale said: "He's come in and he's been very good for everybody. He's given us all confidence, that freedom to play.
"Yeah he's really got the team spirit together. So we're all enjoying playing under him and it showed tonight how much we did."
The Champions League win is Bale's second, following the 4-1 after-extra-time win over Atletico in Lisbon in 2014.
The 26-year-old admitted the heat and humidity in Milan caused problems for him and his players, and revealed in the latter stages he was just there to make up the numbers in midfield.
"We wanted the first twenty minutes very fast, very high pressure. Obviously the humidity and the heat played a massive part in the game. I think a lot of people got cramp.
"Yeah we started well, obviously you have to suffer a little bit in finals and we had to do that, but we bounced back and showed great character in the team.
"In extra-time I was cramping really hard to be honest, so I was trying to float around in the middle and trying to make the bodies up, if I could get the ball I could, but yeah it was a very difficult evening.
"A lot of players going down with cramp and even going off, but yeah one of those nights where you put everything on the line to win the trophy."
