Zinedine Zidane 'not happy' as Real Madrid suffer surprise Cadiz defeat a week before clasico

Zinedine Zidane said he was "not happy at all" after watching his Real Madrid side suffer a shock home defeat to promoted Cadiz on Saturday.

Anthony Lozano gave Cadiz the lead early in the game but Alvaro Cervera's men could easily have been three or four goals to the good after continually carving the Spanish champions open.

The Honduran forward also wasted a clear opportunity to double his side's lead, and Zidane did not pull any punches with his assessment of his side.

"They played with more pace than us and more enthusiasm. We can't make any excuses, we played a bad game and we have to congratulate Cadiz. We're not happy at all," Zidane said.

"It was very difficult for us from the start and I wouldn't have been surprised if they had scored two or three goals in the first half."

Real had not lost in the league since a 2-1 defeat by Real Betis back in March, just before last season's competition was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic. Their last home defeat came in May 2019, a 2-0 loss to Betis.

"The way we started the game was what concerned me the most. We then struggled to create chances but that's a consequence of the bad start we had made," the Frenchman said after his side managed only two shots on target in 90 minutes to Cadiz's five.

Another concern for Real is an injury to captain Sergio Ramos, who watched the second half of the defeat at Alfredo di Stefano Stadium in the stands with ice strapped around his left knee.

"Hopefully it's minor," said Zidane. "Tomorrow we'll see what he has done."

The result hardly made for perfect preparation for what is a crucial week for Real. The capital club begin their Champions League campaign at home to Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday before visiting arch rivals Barcelona in the first clasico of the season next Saturday.

"I don't think this game [against Cadiz] is going to have a big impact on us, we're going to try and fix things. Of course tonight is a very bad night for us but we're going to try and change things," said Zidane.

"We've only lost three points. They are three important points, but nothing else. Now we're thinking about our next game."

MATCH INFO

Wales 1 (Bale 45 3')

Croatia 1 (Vlasic 09')

Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.

8. Pillar 2 implementation

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer

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RESULTS

6.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (Dirt) 1.600m
Winner: Miller’s House, Richard Mullen (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).

7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Kanood, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass.

7.50pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Gervais, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.

8.15pm: The Garhoud Sprint Listed (TB) Dh 132,500 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Important Mission, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.

8.50pm: The Entisar Listed (TB) Dh 132,500 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Firnas, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.

9.25pm: Conditions (TB) Dh 120,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Zhou Storm, Connor Beasley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.