Zinedine Yazid Zidane (French:[zinedinzidan];[4] born 23 June 1972), popularly known asZizou (French:[zizu]), is a French professionalfootball manager and formerplayer who played as anattacking midfielder. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, Zidane was aplaymaker renowned for his elegance, vision, passing, and ball control. He received many individual accolades as a player, including being namedFIFA World Player of the Year in 1998, 2000 and 2003, and winning the 1998Ballon d'Or. He last coachedLa Liga clubReal Madrid and is one of the most successful coaches in the world.
Zidane started his career atCannes, before establishing himself as one of the best players in the FrenchLigue 1 atBordeaux. In 1996, he moved to Italian clubJuventus, where he won several trophies, including twoSerie A titles. He moved to Real Madrid for aworld-record fee at the time of €77.5 million in 2001, which remained a record for the next eight years. In Spain, Zidane won several trophies, including a La Liga title and theUEFA Champions League. In the2002 Champions League final, he scored a left-foot volleyed winner that is considered one of the greatest goals in football history. In 2012 and 2017, respectively, Zidane was named in Real Madrid's and Juventus's greatest XI of all time.
Capped 108 times byFrance, Zidane won the1998 FIFA World Cup, scoring a brace in thefinal, and was named in the All-Star team. This triumph made him a national hero in France and he received theLegion of Honour in 1998. He wonUEFA Euro 2000 and was named Player of the Tournament. He also received theGolden Ball as Player of the Tournament at the2006 World Cup, despite his infamous sending off in thefinal against Italy for headbuttingMarco Materazzi in the chest. He retired as the fourth-most capped player in French history.
In 2004, he was named in theFIFA 100, a list of the world's greatest living players compiled byPelé, and in the same year was named the best European footballer of the past 50 years in theUEFA Golden Jubilee Poll. Zidane is one of ten players to have won theWorld Cup, the Champions League, and the Ballon d'Or. He was the ambassador forQatar's successful bid to stage the2022 World Cup, the firstArab country to host the tournament.
After retiring as a player, Zidane began his coaching career atReal Madrid Castilla. He remained in the position for two years, before managing the first team in 2016. In his initial three seasons, Zidane became the first coach to win the Champions League three times in a row. He also won the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup twice each, as well as a La Liga title and a Supercopa de España. This success led to Zidane being namedBest FIFA Men's Coach in 2017. He resigned in 2018, but returned to the club in 2019, and won another La Liga title and a Supercopa de España, before leaving again in 2021.
Early life and career
La Castellane, in the northwestern edge of Marseille, where Zidane was born in 1972La Corniche, a seaside roadway along the coast of Marseille, with a mural of Zidane on the wall
Zinedine Yazid Zidane was born on 23 June 1972 inLa Castellane, a neighbourhood in the16th arrondissement ofMarseille, inSouthern France.[5] He is the youngest of five siblings[6] born to Algerian parents Smaïl and Malika, who had immigrated to Paris from the village ofAguemoune in theBerber-speaking region ofKabylia in 1953, before the start of theAlgerian War. The family, which had settled in the city's tough northern districts ofBarbès andSaint-Denis, found little work in the region, and in the mid-1960s moved to the northern Marseille suburb of La Castellane.[7] In an interview withEsquire magazine, he stated:
I have an affinity with the Arabic world. I have it in my blood, via my parents. I'm very proud of being French, but also very proud of having these roots and this diversity.[8]
His father worked as a warehouseman and security guard at a department store, often on the night shift, while his mother was a housewife.[9] The family lived a reasonably comfortable life by the standards of the neighbourhood, which was notorious throughout Marseille for its high crime and unemployment rates.[10][11] Zidane credits his strict upbringing and his father as the "guiding light" in his career.[8]
It was in Castellane where Zidane had his earliest introduction in football, joining in at the age of five in football games that the neighbourhood's children played on the Place Tartane, an 80-by-12-yard plaza that served as the main square of the housing complex.[12] In July 2011, Zidane named formerMarseille playersBlaž Slišković,Enzo Francescoli andJean-Pierre Papin as his idols while growing up.[13][14] At the age of ten, Zidane got his first player's licence after joining the junior team of a local club from Castellane by the name of US Saint-Henri.[15] After spending a year and a half at US Saint-Henri, Zidane joined SO Septèmes-les-Vallons when the Septèmes coach Robert Centenero convinced the club's Director to get Zidane.[15] Zidane stayed with Septèmes until the age of 14, at which time he was selected to attend a three-day training camp at theCREPS (Regional Centre for Sports and Physical Education) inAix-en-Provence, one of several such footballing institutes run by theFrench Football Federation. It was here that Zidane was spotted byAS Cannes scout and former player Jean Varraud, who recommended him to the training centre director of the club.[16] As a 14-year-old watching the 1986 World Cup, the performance ofDiego Maradona left an indelible mark on him, with Zidane stating Maradona "was on another level".[17]
Club career
Cannes
"He'd go past one, two, three, five, six players – it was sublime. His feet spoke with the ball"
—Jean Varraud, former player who discovered Zidane.[16]
Zidane went toCannes for a six-week stay, but ended up remaining at the club for four years to play at the professional level. Having left his family to join Cannes, he was invited by Cannes Director Jean-Claude Elineau to leave the dormitory he shared with 20 other trainees and to come and stay with him and his family. Zidane later said that, while living with the Elineaus, he found equilibrium.[9]
It was at Cannes where Zidane's first coaches noticed that he was raw and sensitive, prone to attack spectators who insulted his race or family.[9] His first coach, Jean Varraud, encouraged him to channel his anger and focus on his own game. Zidane spent his first weeks at Cannes mainly on cleaning duty as a punishment for punching an opponent who mocked his ghetto origins.[9] The occasional violence that he would display throughout his career was shaped by an internal conflict of being an Algerian-Frenchman suspended between cultures, and surviving the tough streets of La Castellane where he grew up.[9]
Zidane made his professional debut with Cannes on 18 May 1989 in aFrench Division 1 match againstNantes.[18] He scored his first goal for the club on 10 February 1991[19] also against Nantes in a 2–1 win. After the match, during a party for all the Cannes players, Zidane was given a car by Cannes chairman Alain Pedretti, who had promised him one the day he scored his first goal for the club.[20] On the pitch, Zidane displayed extraordinary technique on the ball, offering glimpses of the talent that would take him to the top of the world game.[16] In his first full season with Cannes, the club secured its first ever European football berth by qualifying for theUEFA Cup, after finishing fourth in the league. This remains the club's highest finish in the top flight since getting relegated for the first time from the first division in the 1948–49 season.[21]
"He is a special player. He creates space where there is none. No matter where he gets the ball or how it comes to him, he can get out of trouble. His imagination and his technique are amazing"
As the playmaker at Juve, Zidane played just behind forwardAlessandro Del Piero, with Del Piero recalling, "Zidane had an extraordinary talent, which contributed to his sole interest in helping the team. He was not a selfish player. He had a unique ability to be a great and to be a team player. I was lucky to play with him."[34] He lost in the1997 UEFA Champions League Final 3–1 toBorussia Dortmund when he was unable to make an impression against the close marking ofPaul Lambert.[35]
The following season, Zidane scored seven goals in 32 matches in the league to help Juventus win the1997–98 Serie A and thus retain theScudetto. In Europe, Juventus made their third consecutiveUEFA Champions League Final appearance, but lost the game1–0 toReal Madrid. In 1998, Zidane was namedFIFA World Player of the Year, and won theBallon d'Or. Juventus finished second in the2000–01 Serie A, but were eliminated in the group stage of the Champions League, after Zidane was banned for head-buttingHamburger SV playerJochen Kientz.[36] In 2001, Zidane was named Serie A Foreign Footballer of the Year for the second time.[32]
In 2001, Zidane joined Real Madrid for aworld-record fee of 150 billion Italian lire,[37][38] (about €77.5 million by fixed exchange rate; a reported 12.8 billionpesetas[39]) in instalments,[40] and signed a four-year contract. The latest addition to theGalácticos era of global stars signed by Real Madrid every year, in his first season at the club Zidane scored a famous match-winning goal, a volley hit with his weaker left foot from the edge of the 18-yard box, in Madrid's 2–1 win overBayer Leverkusen in the2002 UEFA Champions League Final.[41][42] The goal has been cited as one of the greatest inChampions League history.[41][43][44] The magnitude of the strike saw Zidane produce one of his most emotionalgoal celebrations as he ran toward the touchline with mouth wide open, screaming in delight.[45]
Zinedine Zidane, 18 yards out, watching and waiting, adjusts his body and, in one, smooth movement, pirouettes and catches it full on the volley with his left foot. It flies pastHans-Jörg Butt. It was the moment of Zidane's apotheosis, more so than the 1998 World Cup final, because of the moment's grace and beauty, because of his control of everything around him. He was Bruce Lee in slow motion while kung-fu chaos reigned around.
— Rory Smith inThe Telegraph, Top 20 sporting moments of the decade: Zinedine Zidane's Champions League final winner.[41]
"He dominates the ball, he is a walking spectacle and he plays as if he had silk gloves on each foot. He makes it worthwhile going to the stadium – he's one of the best I have ever seen."
While Zidane'sfinal season of club football ended without a trophy, he enjoyed success on a personal note by scoring his firsthat-trick, againstSevilla, in a 4–2 win in January 2006.[49] He ended the season for Real Madrid as their second highest goalscorer and assists provider behind teammatesRonaldo andDavid Beckham respectively, with nine goals and ten assists in 28 games.[50] On 7 May 2006, Zidane, who had announced his plans to retire after the 2006 World Cup,[51] played his farewell match and scored in a 3–3 draw withVillarreal. The squad wore commemorative shirts withZIDANE 2001–2006 below the club logo. The 80,000 fans inside theSantiago Bernabéu held up a banner reading, "Thanks for the magic."[16]
In 2012, Zidane featured for Madrid in an All Stars Match againstManchester United which resulted in a 3–2 win for Real. In April 2013, he was named byMarca as a member of the "Best foreign eleven inReal Madrid's history."[52]
International career
Both France and Algeria consider Zidane acitizen. It was rumoured that coachAbdelhamid Kermali denied Zidane a position for theAlgerian squad because he felt the young midfielder was not fast enough.[53] Zidane dismissed the rumour in a 2005 interview, saying that he would have been ineligible to play for Algeria because he had already played for France.[54]
Zidane was a member of the French under-21 squad that won a bronze medal at the1993 Mediterranean Games inLanguedoc-Roussillon.[55]He earned his firstcap with France as a substitute in afriendly against theCzech Republic on 17 August 1994, which ended in a 2–2 draw after Zidane scored twice to help France erase a 2–0 deficit. AfterEric Cantona was handed a year-long suspension in January 1995 for assaulting a fan, Zidane took over theplaymaker position.[56]
Euro 1996
Despite not being at his best during the tournament, France reached the last four. Zidane was not yet fully established in the French team and his level was quite average during the whole event, but he managed to score in the penalty shootout in both the quarter-final and semi-final. France was eliminated in theEuro 96 semi-finals in apenalty shootout against the Czech Republic.[57]
1998 World Cup
Following France's World Cup win, an image of Zidane was projected on theArc de Triomphe (pictured) along with the words "Merci Zizou".[58]
The1998 FIFA World Cup was the first World Cup that Zidane participated in; the tournament was held in his home country, France. The French team won all three games in the group stage, with Zidane setting up Christophe Dugarry's goal in the opening match againstSouth Africa from a corner, and contributing to Thierry Henry's opening goal in the second match againstSaudi Arabia. He wassent off in the latter match for a stamp onFuad Anwar, becoming the first French player to receive ared card in a World Cup Finals match.[59] Without their playmaker, France proceeded to win 1–0 in the round of sixteen game againstParaguay and, on his return to the side, defeatedItaly 4–3 on penalties after a goalless draw in the quarter-finals, with Zidane netting the first spot kick in the shoot-out.[60] France then defeatedCroatia 2–1 in the semi-final. Although Zidane had played a role in the team's accomplishments, he had yet to score a goal at the World Cup.[59][61]
Zidane and France went on to play against defending champions and favouritesBrazil at theStade de France in the1998 FIFA World Cup Final. France dominated Brazil from the kick-off, with Zidane scoring two similar goals, both headers from corner kicks taken byEmmanuel Petit andYouri Djorkaeff. Courtesy of Zidane's two goals, France went into the half-time break 2–0 up with one hand on theWorld Cup trophy.[16] Petit added a third goal deep in stoppage time to seal the 3–0 win and France's first World Cup. Named man of the match, Zidane became an instant national hero and would receive theLegion of Honour later that year.[58] More than one million people lined theChamps-Élysées in Paris, with celebrations centred around theArc de Triomphe.[62][63]
Euro 2000
Zidane's France jersey from Euro 2000
Two years later France wonEuro 2000, becoming the first team to hold both the World Cup and the European Championship sinceWest Germany in 1974. Zidane finished with two goals, abending free kick againstSpain in the quarter-final and thegolden goal in the semi-final againstPortugal with a penalty.[64][65] He also set-up Henry's goal in a 3–0 win overDenmark in their opening group match.[66] UEFA named ZidanePlayer of the Tournament.[67]
Zidane himself believes he was at his peak during the tournament, while theUEFA website states, "In Belgium and the Netherlands, Zidane dominated a major championship in a way no individual had managed since Diego Maradona in 1986. From the opening game against Denmark to the final against Italy, 'Zizou' shone brightly, casting a spell on his opponents with clever flicks, mesmerising stepovers, slaloming runs and masterful vision."[68]
2002 World Cup
As reigning world and European champions, France entered the2002 World Cup in Japan/Korea as favourites but a thigh injury sustained in a warm up match before the tournament prevented Zidane from playing in France's first two matches and without their talisman, the French team failed to score in either match, losing 1–0 againstSenegal, and holdingUruguay to a goalless draw. He was rushed back prematurely for the third game against Denmark, despite not being fully fit, but could not prevent France from losing 2–0, and being ignominiously eliminated in the group stage without scoring a single goal; the worst performance by a defending champion in the history of the competition.[69]
Euro 2004
AtEuro 2004, France topped their group with wins over England and Switzerland. In the opening match againstEngland, Zidane scored a free kick and penalty in stoppage time to turn impending defeat into a 2–1 victory.[70][71] In the following group match against Croatia, his free-kick was deflected by defenderIgor Tudor, who scored an own goal; the match ended in a 2–2 draw.[72] In France's final group match, Zidane opened the scoring in an eventual 3–1 win overSwitzerland.[73] However, France were knocked out in the quarter-finals by eventual championsGreece in a surprise 1–0 loss.[74] After France's elimination, Zidane announced his retirement from international football.[75]
2006 World Cup
What I am going to say may sound over the top, but it's the truth. God exists and he has returned to the France team.
With the mass retirement of veteran key players such asBixente Lizarazu,Marcel Desailly,Claude Makélélé andLilian Thuram, France struggled to qualify for the2006 World Cup. At the urging of coachRaymond Domenech, Zidane came out of retirement and was immediately reinstated as team captain.[77] Zidane, along with Thuram and Makélélé, made his competitive return for France in a 3–0 win over theFaroe Islands on 3 September 2005. The trio helped France rise from fourth place to win their qualifying group.[78] On 27 May 2006, Zidane earned his hundredth cap for France in a 1–0 friendly win overMexico, in what would also be his last match at theStade de France. Zidane became France's fourth player to reach100 caps, after Desailly, Thuram andDidier Deschamps.[79]
France had a slow start to the 2006 Finals and, after being suspended for the third match of the group stage, Zidane returned to set up a goal forPatrick Vieira and score one himself in the second round match againstSpain.[80] In the quarter-final France held Brazil to just one shot on goal in the rematch of the 1998 final. Zidane assistedThierry Henry's deciding goal and was namedMan of the Match by FIFA.[81][82] France faced Portugal in the semi-final and, as inBrussels six years earlier; once again, Zidane's penalty kick decided the contest and sent France to another major final.[83][84]
Having already announced he was to retire after the expiration of his Real Madrid contract at the end of the 2005–06 season, the world of football already knew Zidane's second World Cup final was to be the last match of his career. Seven minutes into the2006 World Cup final in Berlin, Zidane put France ahead with aPanenka-style penalty kick which struck the crossbar and bounced just over the goal line[85] to become only the fourth player in World Cup history to score in two different finals, along withPelé,Paul Breitner, andVavá, in addition to being tied for first place with Vavá, Pelé andGeoff Hurst with three World Cup final goals apiece, a record at the time, later broken by compatriotKylian Mbappé in2022. He almost scored a second goal during the first period of extra time but his header was saved by Italy's goalkeeperGianluigi Buffon. Zidane was thensent off in the 110th minute of the game afterheadbutting Marco Materazzi in the chest,[86][87][88] so he did not participate in the penalty shootout, which Italy won 5–3.[89] This marked the 14th overallexpulsion of Zidane's career, and joined him withCameroon'sRigobert Song as the only players ever to be sent off during two separate World Cup tournaments.[90] He also became the fourth player red-carded in a World Cup final, in addition to being the first sent off in extra time.[91] Zidane's actions made headlines all over the world, while in FranceLe Figaro called his head-butt "odious", and the front page ofL'Équipe asked, "What should we tell our children, for whom you have become an example for ever? ... How could that happen to a man like you?"[84] Zidane had received plaudits for his performances during the tournament, withPep Guardiola writing he exerts so much influence on the team that "France are never disorganised".[92] The day after the final, Zidane was awarded theGolden Ball as the player of the tournament.[93]
"The match you played last night was full of talent and professionalism. I know that you are sad and disappointed but what I want to tell you is that the whole country is extremely proud of you. You have honoured the country with your exceptional qualities and your fantastic fighting spirit, which was your strength in difficult times, but also in winning times."
—President of France,Jacques Chirac, pays tribute to Zidane in Paris after the 2006 World Cup.[84]
Upon his return to France, thePlace de la Concorde in Paris was filled with thousands of fans waving flags and rhythmically chanting "Zizou! Zizou!", and tributes were led by the French presidentJacques Chirac.[84] Chirac's words reflected the feeling of the French public, with polls done in the immediate wake of the incident showing support for Zidane: 61% of French people said they had already forgiven him for his actions while 52% said they understood them.[84] According to French journalist Philippe Auclair, Zidane's performances in the knock-out rounds were "ranked among his finest in a blue shirt."[84] As the player of the tournament, Zidane had given the team hope, with the French daily newspaperLibération stating, "For a month, France was dreaming with Zidane."[84] Zidane remained an icon to the French public, and one French writer stated, "It's good for us to see our national hero is fallible."[84] It was later revealed through interviews thatMarco Materazzi had insulted Zidane's sister, which led to Zidane's heightened anger and reaction.[94] In 2010, Zidane said that he would "rather die than apologize" to Materazzi for the headbutt in the final,[95] but also admitted that he "could never have lived with himself" had he been allowed to remain on the pitch and help France win the match.[96] He later said, "If you look at the fourteen red cards I had in my career, twelve of them were a result of provocation. This isn't justification, this isn't an excuse, but my passion, temper and blood made me react."[97]
Following his red card in the final, Zidane retired from professional football and confirmed that he would not go back on his decision.[98] He was sentenced by FIFA to complete three days of community service with children in one of FIFA's humanitarian projects rather than three-match suspension for the red card given that he already retired.[99][100][101][102] Zidane ended up tying with Brazil'sCafu for the record for most cards given in World Cup matches, with six.[103]
Retirement
Zidane playing a backheel during a game offutsal in 2008
Since his retirement, Zidane has regularly played for the Real Madrid Veterans team. He has also made severalfutsal appearances. In 2015 he played in a futsal tournament inDubai, United Arab Emirates, during which an opposition player received a yellow card to much amusement for taking an in-match selfie with Zidane.[104] In an interview in June 2008, Zidane stated that he wanted to return to football, but that he had no immediate plans to do so.[105]
On 1 June 2009, Zidane was announced as the advisor to the president afterFlorentino Pérez was named president of Real Madrid for the second time.[106] He, along with general directorJorge Valdano and sporting directorMiguel Pardeza, were to be the key decisionmakers on the sporting side of the club.[106] After France's dismal campaign in the2010 World Cup, Zidane said that he did not plan to move into coaching any time soon.[107]
Qatar's2022 World Cup bid committee announced in September 2010 that Zidane had been appointed as an ambassador for Qatar's attempt to host the2022 World Cup.[108] After FIFA announced on 2 December 2010 that Qatar had won the bid to host the 2022 World Cup,[109] Zidane stated that he was "very pleased" with the outcome.[110] Zidane spoke of the message he was trying to convey in the campaign: "I was saying that football belonged to the whole world. I'm proud to have made my contribution to a new country getting the World Cup. Qatar and the entire Middle East as a whole deserves this event and that makes me happy. It's a victory for theArab world."[111] Zidane has supported two Olympic bids for Paris, including the2012 Summer Olympics which was narrowly won by London and later Paris' successful bid for the2024 Summer Olympics. Paris also hosted the2024 Summer Paralympics.[112]
Philanthropy
Zidane at theDanone Nations Cup, 2008. A football tournament involving 2.5 million children from over 11,000 clubs from around the globe, Zidane is its ambassador.
On 24 February 2007, before a crowd of 10,000 fans at a match in northern Thailand for the Keuydaroon children's AIDS charity, Zidane scored the first goal and set up the second for a Malaysian teammate as the match ended 2–2. The event raised฿260,000 ($7,750). This money paid for the building of two schools and 16 three-bedroom houses.[113]
On 19 November 2008, Zidane took part in the fifth annualMatch Against Poverty inMálaga, Spain, which also ended in a 2–2 draw; he went scoreless but set up his team's second goal. He andRonaldo, who collaborated in conceiving the yearly event to benefit theUnited Nations Development Programme, regularly captain their respective teams consisting of active footballers, other professional athletes and celebrities.[114] Zidane, a UN Goodwill Ambassador since 2001, stated before the game that "everyone can do something to make the world a better place."[115]
In June and July 2009, Zidane toured across Canada with stops inToronto,Montreal andVancouver. Although billed as Zidane and "Friends", the likes of which includedFabien Barthez andSamuel Eto'o, the exhibition matches featured local players. Some proceeds were given toUNICEF.[116]
On 2 June 2013, Zidane took part in a charity match played at Old Trafford as part of the Manchester United Legends vs. Real Madrid Legends reverse fixture. The first leg took place inSantiago Bernabéu Stadium. Part of a team that included the likes of Figo,Fernando Redondo andManolo Sanchís, the fixture raised funds for the Manchester United Foundation.[118] The 12th Match against Poverty took place inSaint-Étienne, France, on Monday 20 April 2015, where Ronaldo and Zidane teamed up with other football stars against past and present players of FrenchLigue 1 clubAS Saint-Étienne. According to UNDP, "two-thirds of all proceeds will go toward helping the hardest-hit countries of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone build back better from theEbola epidemic."[119] In June 2018, Zidane reunited with his France 1998 World Cup winning teammates to play a charity game against an All-Star side which included Jamaican sprinterUsain Bolt. In a 3–2 win for France,Thierry Henry played a no-look one-two pass with Zidane before scoring, with Zidane then curling in a 25-yard free kick.[120]
Coaching career
Zidane in 2013. He was the Real Madrid assistant coach for the2013–14 season.
In November 2010, Zidane was appointed as a special adviser to Real Madrid's first team in response to an appeal made by then-Real Madrid coachJosé Mourinho for the former Real midfielder to work more closely with the team. In his new role, Zidane was expected to participate in Champions League events and functions and was also to travel with the first team on a regular basis and participate in pre-match gatherings, training sessions and meetings with the head coach.[121] In July 2011, it was announced that he would become Real Madrid's new sporting director.[122] In 2013, Zidane was appointed assistant coach toCarlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid.[123]
Real Madrid Castilla
In June 2014, Real Madrid announced that Zidane would be the coach of Real Madrid's B team,Real Madrid Castilla.[124] On 29 August, the director of the Spanish National Football Coach Education Centre (CENAFE), Miguel Galán, reported Zidane for acting as Real Madrid Castilla's head coach without the necessary coaching badges.[125] According to Galán, "No one who has anything to do with the football world can be unaware that Zidane is acting as Real Madrid Castilla's head coach this season. It is a fait accompli that has been widely accepted, as shown by media reports, and Real Madrid do not deny it."[125] While the official match report for Castilla's opening game in the Segunda División B lists Santiago Sánchez as theLos Blancos' head coach and Zidane as his assistant, Galán states, "This hierarchy only exists on paper. The truth is the exact opposite: Zidane is acting as Real Madrid Castilla's head coach, while, with all due respect to him as a colleague, Mr Sánchez's role basically boils down to providing the badges."[125][126]
Real Madrid
Zidane (right) with Real Madrid captainSergio Ramos lifting the 2016 UEFA Champions League trophy
On 4 January 2016, Real Madrid announced the dismissal ofRafael Benítez and on the same day Zidane was appointed the new head coach of the club on a two-and-a-half-year deal.[127] His first match as the club's new manager took place five days later, when Real Madrid beatDeportivo La Coruña 5–0 in aLa Liga match. In his firstEl Clásico as a coach, held on 2 April at theCamp Nou, Zidane led his club to a 2–1 win overBarcelona, ending Barça's 39-match unbeaten run.[128] On 4 May, Zidane led Real Madrid to a place in theChampions League final by beatingManchester City 1–0 on aggregate.[129] In La Liga, Madrid ended up finishing second, with 90 points and just one point behind champions Barcelona.[130] On 28 May, Real Madrid's eleventhChampions League title was won after a 5–3 penalty shoot-out victory overAtlético Madrid, with the achievement being termed "La Undécima".[131][132] Zidane became the seventh man to win the European Cup both as a player and a coach and the second man (afterMiguel Muñoz) to achieve the feat with Real Madrid. He also became the first French coach, except the French-ArgentinianHelenio Herrera, to win the trophy.[133][134]
Zidane, with his Real Madrid players, standing to the right of Madrid mayorManuela Carmena after Real had won their 33rdLa Liga title, May 2017
Real Madrid began their 2016–17 campaign, which was to be Zidane's first full season in charge of the club, with a victory in the2016 UEFA Super Cup against Sevilla.[135] On 10 December 2016, Madrid played their 35th-straight match without a loss, which set a new club record.[136] On 18 December 2016, the club defeated Japanese outfitKashima Antlers 4–2 in thefinal of the2016 FIFA Club World Cup.[137] With a 3–3 draw at Sevilla in the second leg of theCopa del Rey round of 16 on 12 January 2017, Madrid progressed to the quarter-finals with a 6–3 aggregate victory and extended its unbeaten run to 40 matches, breaking Barcelona's Spanish record of 39 matches unbeaten in all competitions from theprevious season.[138] Their unbeaten streak ended after a 1–2 away loss against the same opposition inLa Liga three days later.[139] The team then was knocked out of the Copa del Rey byCelta Vigo 3–4 on aggregate. In May of that year, Madrid won the league title for a record 33rd time, their first title in five years, accumulating 93 points in the process.[140] On 3 June 2017, the club'sChampions League final win againstJuventus resulted in Real Madrid being the first team to successfully defend their title in the UEFA Champions League era, and the first to win consecutive titles in the competition sinceMilan in1989 and1990, when the tournament was known as the European Cup.[141][142] Real Madrid's title was its 12th, extending the record, and its third in four years. The achievement is also known as "La Duodécima".[143] With Real's Champions League victory, Zidane became only the second manager to win the European Cup in his first two seasons in management, alongside fellow Real Madrid coachJosé Villalonga.[144]
Real kicked off the 2017–18 campaign by winning its second consecutive and fourth overallUEFA Super Cup in a2–1 victory againstManchester United.[145] Five days later, Real Madrid beat Barcelona at the Camp Nou 3–1 in the first leg of the2017 Supercopa de España and then defeated Barça 2–0 in the return leg, ending their 24 consecutive match scoring record inEl Clásico matches and winning the second trophy of the season.[146] This title tied Zidane withVicente del Bosque as the third most successful Real Madrid coach with seven titles, one short ofLuis Molowny. This also meant that, at the time, Zidane had won as many titles in his coaching position in Real Madrid as games lost during his tenure. Zidane's success saw him namedBest FIFA Men's Coach in 2017.[147] On 16 December 2017, Zidane won his eighth trophy as coach as Real beat Brazilian clubGrêmio 1–0 in theFIFA Club World Cupfinal and became the first team to retain the trophy.[148] On 24 January 2018, Madrid was knocked out of theCopa del Rey at the quarter-final stage byLeganés onaway goals. The team'sleague campaign was also a disappointment as Real collected only 76 points and finished third, 17 points behind champions Barcelona. Madrid fared far better in theChampions League, once again progressing to thefinal where they defeatedLiverpool 3–1 to become the first club to win three straight titles in the Champions League era, as well as the first team to win three consecutive titles in the European Cup/Champions League sinceBayern Munich in1976. At that time, he became one of three managers, alongsideBob Paisley and Carlo Ancelotti, to win the European Cup three times, while also becoming the first coach to win the trophy in three consecutive seasons.[149] On 31 May, five days after the Champions League final, Zidane announced his resignation as Real Madrid coach, citing the club's "need for change" as his rationale for departing.[150][151]
Return to Real Madrid
Following some poor results for Real Madrid in the months following Zidane's departure – culminating in elimination from theCopa del Rey at home to Barcelona, aleague loss to the same opponent at the same venue which opened up a 12-point gap between the clubs, and an unexpected home 4–1 defeat toAjax in theChampions League which brought the long run of success in that competition to an end, all within the space of a week – his former teammateSantiago Solari (who himself had only been in the post for five months, afterJulen Lopetegui's equally brief spell in charge) was dismissed and Zidane returned as the Real Madrid head coach on 11 March 2019, on a contract until summer 2022.[152][153]
The 2019–20 season seemed a promising one, as Madrid went on a spending spree in the summer of 2019, signingEden Hazard,Luka Jović,Éder Militão,Ferland Mendy,Rodrygo,Reinier and other players for a total of more than €350 million. On 12 January 2020, Zidane guided Madrid to their first trophy in his second spell, with the club defeating cross-city rivals Atlético Madrid in a penalty shootout in theSupercopa de Españafinal.[154] After a three-month hiatus due to theCOVID-19 outbreak in March 2020,La Liga was restarted in June and Madrid won ten games in a row to capture the team's 34th league title, collecting 87 points in total.[155] It was Zidane's second league title in his coaching career.[156] His collective mindset was hailed by international and Spanish media, as Real Madrid broke several records, including the number of scorers and maintaining their best league defensive record in 30 years, with 21 of his players managing to get on the scoresheet during the campaign.[157][158][159] Zidane left a second time on 27 May 2021 after going trophyless that season.[160]
"Technically, I think he is the king of what's fundamental in the game – control and passing. I don't think anyone can match him when it comes to controlling or receiving the ball."
Many football legends have acclaimed Zidane's skills and importance in the history of the sport, such as Brazil coachCarlos Alberto Parreira, who called Zidane "a monster" for his performance and abilities.[164] German coachFranz Beckenbauer stated, "Zidane is one of the greatest players in history, a truly magnificent player."[164] Italy managerMarcello Lippi, who also coached Zidane, opined, "I think Zidane is the greatest talent we've known in football these last twenty years."[164] Former England managerKevin Keegan said, "You look at Zidane and think 'I've never seen a player quite like that.' What sets Zidane apart is the way he manipulates a football, buying himself space that isn't there. Add his vision and it makes him very special."[165] At the 1998 World Cup, Italian managerCesare Maldini said, "I would give up five players to have Zidane in my squad."[166]
In terms of ball retention he was probably the greatest player of all time, blessed with such grace and supernatural awareness that he could play a game of real-life Pac-Man and never be caught.
Zidane's France home jersey from the 2006 World Cup. An eliteplaymaker, he wore number 10 for much of his international career.
Among his playing peers, Swedish strikerZlatan Ibrahimović commented, "Zidane was from another planet. When Zidane stepped onto the pitch, the ten other guys just got suddenly better. It is that simple."[168]David Beckham has described Zidane as "the greatest of all time",[169][170] Barcelona starXavi has stated in a 2010 interview that Zidane was "best player in the '90s and early 2000s",[171] while Brazilian defender and former Real Madrid teammateRoberto Carlos has said of Zidane, "He is the best player I've seen. Supporters arrived earlier at the Bernabéu just to see him warm-up."[172] Brazilian playmakerRonaldinho stated, "Zidane is one of the best footballers of all time, one of my idols. He had such elegance and grace, a wonderful touch and superb vision."[173] Belgian playmakerEden Hazard regards Zidane as "the best ever", and growing up he learned from his idol by "watching him on television and online for hours."[174][175]
Displaying skills with an array of moves such as his signatureLa Roulette pirouette,step overs, and close ball control, former Brazilian internationalRivaldo stated, "His elegance of movement on the pitch and his skills are uncanny."[176] JournalistSid Lowe wrote, "Zidane was football's answer to theBolshoi Ballet. Zidane was elegance above all else."[177] In 2005, upon Zidane's return to the French national team, his teammateThierry Henry stated, "In France, everybody realized that God exists, and that he is back in the French international team."[178] Zidane has been lauded by sportsmen outside football; having witnessed Zidane's goal against Deportivo La Coruña in January 2002, where he dragged the ball right then left, turning the defender inside out, before scoring with a left foot finish, basketball playerMagic Johnson stated, "One of the most inspiring nights of my life. Zidane is a phenomenon."[179]
Labelled a "flawed genius" byESPN, Zidane possessed an exceptional first touch, and was also known for hisdribbling skills and elegance on the ball.[180][181][182] He was capable of using either foot, despite being naturally right-footed.[183][184] His technique and co-ordination enabled him to execute shots and volleys with extreme power and precision, in particular from outside the penalty area;[163][185] he was also afree kick andpenalty kick specialist.[186][187] A renowned playmaker, Zidane's natural position was a classic number 10 behind the strikers.[180][188][189] He was also capable of playing as asecond striker,[190][191][192] as awinger,[193] or as acentral midfielder ordeep-lying playmaker, due to his ability to orchestrate his team's attacking plays from deep with his vision and passing.[163][165][194][195] Thus, he was capable of both assisting and scoring goals, despite being neither the most prolific goalscorer.[196] While not known for his heading ability, his height and physical strength also allowed him to be effective in the air, and saw him score several crucial headers throughout his career.[197] He also drew praise from his managers for his defensive work-rate.[181][198] Despite not being the quickest player, he possessed good agility and acceleration.[181][195][198][9][199] He also had excellent positioning[197] and outstanding spatial awareness.[200] Although he had a reserved and humble character, his former Juventus managers Lippi and Ancelotti also praised Zidane for being a team player, on whom his teammates could rely.[188] Notwithstanding the acclaim that Zidane received from the media over his playing ability, he also drew criticism in the media over his temperament and discipline, and for his occasional violent conduct on the pitch, which led to Zidane picking up cards; he was also accused by the media for drifting in and out of games and for lacking leadership qualities, although he was able to establish himself as a consistent and decisive player, who was also an influential captain at international level throughout his career.[9][201]
Zidane has been namedFIFA World Player of the Year three times, a feat achieved only byRonaldo,Lionel Messi andCristiano Ronaldo.[202] In 2002, ESPN described Zidane as "the greatest player in the world in the world's biggest game".[179] In a 2002 FIFA poll, Zidane was selected in theFIFA World Cup Dream Team.[203] In 2004, he was votedUEFA Best European Player of the Past 50 Years, and was named in theFIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players.[204] In a 2004 poll conducted by French newspaperJournal du Dimanche, Zidane was voted as "the most popular Frenchman of all time".[9] In 2014, in a poll carried out by French TV channelTF1, Zidane was voted as the best player in the history of the French league.[205] In 2016, in a study led by French newspaperLe Parisien, Zidane was named "best French player of all time".[206]
As a coach
Zidane at a press conference during the 2017 FIFA Club World Cup. As head coach of Real Madrid he won the UEFA Champions League an unprecedented three times in a row.
Despite establishing himself as one of the most successful coaches of his era and in thehistory of Real Madrid,[A] Zidane's time at Real Madrid was considered by some to be shadowed by a partial amount of luck.[B] His tactical philosophy has been praised by many.[207][208][209][210] Zidane's tactical style, characterized by its formation flexibility and attacking football, as well as his ability to unite the dressing room, have been positively compared toCarlo Ancelotti's coaching method.[211][212][213] His use of in-game substitutions was particularly praised, as many of his substitutes led to victories, such as introducingMarco Asensio andLucas Vázquez in order to provide pace and width againstParis Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League to overturn a 1–0 deficit into a 3–1 victory. Similarly, his use ofGareth Bale as a substitute in the2018 UEFA Champions League Final proved crucial; Bale scored two goals after being brought on, turning a 1–1 tie into a 3–1 Madrid victory. It is also noted that his team focused on attacking through the flanks,[214] while he is credited for repopularising the4–4–2 diamond formation in contemporary football.[215]
On the other hand, some consider that Zidane's role was more focused in grinding out results and uniting the dressing room, rather than having a fixed tactical scheme.[216][217] Zidane emphasised the importance of players' physical levels and preferred to choose impactful players over a defined system.[218] During his time at Real Madrid, he used several formations, including the 4–3–3, the 4–2–3–1, the 4–4–2, and the 3–5–2,[219] in order to find the system that best suited his players, and has been credited with using "simple systems", "so that his players have the freedom needed to prove their superiority."[220] Zidane has been praised for his balanced approach as a coach, and for having the leadership skills and personability to manage and motivate several world class players, create a good team environment, foster professional relationships, and a strong winning mentality; he has also demonstrated an ability to rotate players and get the best out his team, which has played a key role in his success. In 2019, he commented, "You ask me about two players but what interests me is the group.Karim is important for the team, not just for his goals.Casemiro gives a lot of balance, but not only that. Everyone contributes something to the team in their own way on the field".[221] Regarding his coaching role at Real Madrid, Zidane commented in 2018: "When you work with high-quality players, they know how to manage those periods of games when you’re not playing well, and they get things back on track very quickly. My job was to keep people calm!"[222] Two of his main influences as a manager are his own former managers Marcello Lippi and Carlo Ancelotti.[211][223]
In popular culture
Zidane's Z5 Group is a sporting complex made up of five a side football pitches sponsored byAdidas.
Zidane has had endorsements with many companies, includingAdidas,Lego,France Telecom,Orange,Audi,Volvic andChristian Dior. These sponsorship deals earned him €8.6 million on top of his €6.4 million Real Madrid salary in 2006, totalling €15 million ($20.4 million), which made him the sixth-highest paid footballer.[224][225] In 2004,Forbes magazine listed his earnings of $15.8 million for the previous 12 months.[226] In May 2010, Zidane appeared in a commercial forLouis Vuitton, indulging in a game oftable football withPelé andDiego Maradona.[227] Zidane features as the cover star of the Ultimate Edition of theFIFA video gameFIFA 20.[228]
On 5 November 2006, Zidane appeared in the American animated sitcomFamily Guy, seenheadbutting an old lady in the episode "Saving Private Brian" as a parody of his headbutt on Materazzi.[233] The infamous headbutt has also been the subject of a lyrical essay by the Belgian novelistJean-Philippe Toussaint entitledLa Mélancolie de Zidane (2006).[234]
In 2010, footage of Zidane appeared in the "Waka Waka" music video byShakira, which shows him celebrating France winning the 1998 World Cup.[235] In 2014, Australian sports presenterLes Murray collaborated with the bandVaudeville Smash and performed a Zidane tribute song, the accompanying video featuring four footballers performing ball tricks in Zidane masks, one of whom ends up headbutting a nightwatchman.[236][237] In 2016, Zidane was ranked one of the 500 most influentialMuslims in the world by theRoyal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre of Jordan, which noted: "[Zidane's] modest character has endeared him to the wider public."[238]
Personal life
Zidane's parents' house in the village ofAguemoune in Algeria, which he visited on 15 December 2006[239]
At the age of 17, Zidane met his future wife, Véronique Fernández (born inAveyron of Spanish descent),[240] while playing forCannes in the 1988–89 season. Married in 1994, they have four sons:Enzo Zidane (born 24 March 1995),[241]Luca Zidane (born 13 May 1998),[242]Théo Zidane (born 18 May 2002),[243] andElyaz Zidane (born 26 December 2005).[244]
He has described himself as a "non-practisingMuslim", and is open about his religion and spirituality.[9][10]
On 12 July 2019, his elder brother Farid died of cancer at the age of 54.[245][246]
^Di Gennaro, Dario."Italia-Francia, 1998 0-0 (3-4)" [Italy–France, 1998 0–0 (3–4)].rai.it (in Italian). Rai Sport. Archived fromthe original on 16 June 2012. Retrieved13 June 2012.
^abcValdano, Jorge (10 July 2001)."El falso lento" [The falso slow-poke].El País (in Spanish).Archived from the original on 25 October 2019. Retrieved25 October 2019.
^"Zinedine Zidane". BBC Sport. 8 April 2002.Archived from the original on 8 November 2019. Retrieved25 October 2019.
^abGamba, Emanuele (25 January 2000)."Rivaldo? Meglio Zidane" [Rivaldo? Better to have Zidane].La Repubblica (in Italian).Archived from the original on 25 October 2019. Retrieved25 October 2019.
^Marrese, Emilio (13 June 1998)."Francia, l' esordio è felice Zidane illumina, Issa regala" [France, his debut is a happy one Zidane illuminates, Issa gifts France the win].La Repubblica (in Italian).Archived from the original on 25 October 2019. Retrieved25 October 2019.
^Stehli, Jean-Sébastien; Vidalie, Anne; Miquelm, Paul (8 June 2006)."Icône malgré lui".L'Express (in French). Archived fromthe original on 14 October 2007. Retrieved11 July 2006.
^Schleifer, Professor S Abdallah (2016).The Muslim 500: 2017 The World's 500 Most Influential Muslims, 2017. Amman, Jordan: The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre. pp. 175–176.ISBN978-9957-635-03-9.
^"Zidane, Onze de Oro award for best coach of the season". Madrid, Spain: Real Madrid CF. 9 June 2017.Archived from the original on 26 June 2020. Retrieved10 June 2017.Zinedine Zidane han been recognised by the French magazine Onze Mondial with the award of Onze de Oro best coach of the 2016–2017 season.
^Navarrete, Lucas (28 December 2017)."Ronaldo and Zidane win Globe Soccer Awards for Best Player and Best Coach".Managing Madrid. Retrieved31 December 2017.Real Madrid swept the 2017 Globe Soccer Awards as Cristiano Ronaldo was named the best player, Zinedine Zidane the best coach and the club won the Team of the Year Award.
^"Décret présidentiel n° 06–445" [Presidential Decree No. 06–445](PDF).Official Journal of the Algerian Republic (in French).80. 11 December 2006. Retrieved15 January 2019.
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