MADRID, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Real Madrid coach Santiago Solari admitted he didn't know what the future holds in store for him following his side's exit from the Champions League on Tuesday night.
Real Madrid were beaten 4-1 at home to Ajax to suffer a 5-3 aggregate defeat and end seven disastrous days which have also ended their interest in the Copa del Rey and almost certainly La Liga, where they sit 12 points behind Barcelona with 12 games left to play.
It seems impossible that Solari, who replaced Julen Lopetegui in November, can survive those disasters, but speaking to the press after the final whistle blew late on Tuesday night, he tried to put a brave face on things.
"I am here to work and give my best. The players are here to give their best in order to be better tomorrow than they were yesterday. We'll come in to work tomorrow and give the best for the team," he said.
A large section of the Spanish press consider Tuesday's defeat to be the end of an era, with players like Marcelo and Gareth Bale likely to leave the club at the end of the season, but Solari defended his squad.
"This group of players has won the last three editions of the Champions League and tonight we've gone out of the competition. This group of champions has won four of the last five Champions Leagues and it's a sad time that highlights what the team has achieved in the past," he commented.
However, he acknowledged that Tuesday was a "really painful" moment for the club.
"We're sad and it hurts. We did our best but it wasn't enough and we've gone out," he lamented.
