1998 World Cup Star : Zinedine Zidane
Zidane was therefore at the peak of his career. But the fall was that much longer as a result: only a few months later and just before the begin of the 2002 FIFA World Cup™ in Japan and South Korea , Zizou suffered a torn muscle in his left thigh and was forced to sit on the bench for the first two group matches. In the final group match against Denmark, Zidane ran onto the pitch with a bandage around his leg but even he, considerably handicapped by the injury, wasn’t able to prevent the FIFA World Cup™ holders and odds-on favourite from being eliminated at the group stage. They went home without scoring and with just one measly point to their credit.
At the EURO 2004 in Portugal, Zidane, who scored three goals of which two came in added time in the memorable 2-1 win against England, was the best player in an otherwise disappointing French team that lost in the quarterfinals to the eventual European champions, Greece.
With the European Championship that went badly awry still on his mind, Zidane announced his retirement from international football on 12 August 2004. He only wanted to appear in future for his employers, Real Madrid, explained the clearly frustrated superstar. His 93 international appearances saw him score 26 goals for the "Equipe Tricolore".
Zidane has won a deserved place in the history books alongside such names as Stefano, Pele, Cruyff, Beckenbauer and Maradona. He was World Player of the Year on three occasions (1998, 2000 and 2003), Europe’s Player of the Year in 1998 and World Sportsman of the Year in 1999. It’s not just his technique and goal scoring instinct that make him so unique. He is a player’s player that gives his all and who shows no airs and graces. In spite of his talents being on the wane, the world’s best paid footballer is probably still worth every cent of his estimated eight million Euro yearly salary for his club Real Madrid with whom he has a contract until 2007.
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The playmaking genius led the “Grande Nation” by scoring two
wonderfully clean headers in the 27th and 46th minutes to their first
FIFA World Cup™ title. Therefore, the Brazilian ball virtuosos were
forced to leave the pitch as runners-up for the first time in five
appearances in the final. Petit’s goal to make the score 3-0 was only of
real interest to the statisticians. 75,000 euphoric fans in the stadium
and a whole country celebrated just one man: “Zizou”, the white cat. Two years later, Zidane led the “Equipe Tricolore” to the European Championship title in Rotterdam – 2-1 against Italy on the golden goal rule. The double hadn’t been achieved since the Germans achieved it in 1972/74. Since Alfredo di Stefano, no other footballer had embodied so many talents and qualities in one person than the strategist from Real Madrid. He is a playmaker and thinker, shines as a goal scorer, has a polished technique, is strong physically (50/50 balls) and is moreover an excellent team player: somebody for football’s text books. |
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 Zinedine Zidane playing against Spain at EURO 2000. France is seeking a successor for the midfield star, who stands alongside Pele, Beckenbauer, Cruyff and Maradona. GES/Augenklick |
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And not only because he is an exceptionally gifted footballer.
His life fits the cliché, from poor working class child to millionaire.
Zinedine Yazid Zidane was born on 23 June 1972 as the son of Algerian
immigrants in the southern Franceport of Marseilles. He grew up there in
the problem quarter, La Castellane with his three brothers Nordine,
Farid, Djamel and his sister Lila. The future national hero is a genuine “street footballer”. As a child he played in the grey concrete jungle’s backyards. Aged 12, he followed France’s 1984 European Championship victory as a ball-boy. Aged 14, he was noticed by talent scouts and he landed up in AS Cannes’ football academy. Aged 16, he made his debut for Cannes in the French first division. After the club were relegated, he was transferred to Girondins Bordeaux in 1992 and played his first international match in August 1994. It was like a triumphal procession: sent onto the pitch with the score at 0-2 against the CzechRepublic, “Zizou” scored the goals that levelled the scores. Zidane moved to Italy’s record champions, Juventus in 1996, where he was given the final international polish. Playing for Juve he won the Italian championship twice and stood in the Champions League final on two occasions – but he landed up on the losing team on both occasions. On the other hand, he had an immaculate record with the national team in FIFA World Cup™ and European Championship finals. Real Madrid bought Zidane for a 71.6 million Euro transfer fee in 2001. He therefore became the most expensive footballer of all time. Whilst playing for Real, the Frenchman won the one title that had eluded him: the Champions League. His dream goal sealed Real’s 2-1 win against Bayer Leverkusen in the final in Glasgow on 15 May 2002. It was the ninth time the team had returned to Spain’s capital city with the cup in their hands. |
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 Zinedine Zidane was the French team’s outstanding playmaker when winning the 1998 World Cup and the 2000 European Championships. Kunz/Augenklick |
Zidane was therefore at the peak of his career. But the fall was that much longer as a result: only a few months later and just before the begin of the 2002 FIFA World Cup™ in Japan and South Korea , Zizou suffered a torn muscle in his left thigh and was forced to sit on the bench for the first two group matches. In the final group match against Denmark, Zidane ran onto the pitch with a bandage around his leg but even he, considerably handicapped by the injury, wasn’t able to prevent the FIFA World Cup™ holders and odds-on favourite from being eliminated at the group stage. They went home without scoring and with just one measly point to their credit.
At the EURO 2004 in Portugal, Zidane, who scored three goals of which two came in added time in the memorable 2-1 win against England, was the best player in an otherwise disappointing French team that lost in the quarterfinals to the eventual European champions, Greece.
With the European Championship that went badly awry still on his mind, Zidane announced his retirement from international football on 12 August 2004. He only wanted to appear in future for his employers, Real Madrid, explained the clearly frustrated superstar. His 93 international appearances saw him score 26 goals for the "Equipe Tricolore".
Zidane has won a deserved place in the history books alongside such names as Stefano, Pele, Cruyff, Beckenbauer and Maradona. He was World Player of the Year on three occasions (1998, 2000 and 2003), Europe’s Player of the Year in 1998 and World Sportsman of the Year in 1999. It’s not just his technique and goal scoring instinct that make him so unique. He is a player’s player that gives his all and who shows no airs and graces. In spite of his talents being on the wane, the world’s best paid footballer is probably still worth every cent of his estimated eight million Euro yearly salary for his club Real Madrid with whom he has a contract until 2007.
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