Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane, born on June 23, 1972, in Marseille, France, is widely regarded as one of soccer's greatest players. He grew up in a humble household to Algerian parents, and his early passion for soccer was nurtured in local streets and plazas. Zidane's professional journey began with Cannes, where he made his debut at seventeen, later achieving significant acclaim at Bordeaux and Juventus. His international career soared when he helped France win the 1998 World Cup, scoring twice in the final against Brazil, and he played a crucial role in France's victory at the 2000 European Championship.
In 2001, Zidane transferred to Real Madrid for a record fee, further solidifying his status as a global soccer star. After retiring from playing in 2006, following a controversial exit from the World Cup final, he transitioned into coaching, where he found considerable success, including leading Real Madrid to multiple Champions League titles. Zidane is celebrated not only for his soccer skills but also as a unifying figure in multicultural France, making a lasting impact on the sport and society. He remains active in soccer, expressing a desire to return to coaching in the near future.
Zinedine Zidane
Soccer Player
- Born: June 23, 1972
- Place of Birth: Marseille, France
SPORT: Soccer
Early Life
Zinédine "Zizou" Zidane was born June 23, 1972, in Marseille, a city on France’s southern coast. Located across the Mediterranean Sea from Algeria, Marseille is home to many people of North African ancestry. Born to Algerian parents of Berber descent and raised without luxuries, Zidane was much like other boys in his neighborhood. When it came to playing soccer, however, Zidane distinguished himself.
Zidane first played soccer in a plaza outside his house, developing his skills with his older brothers. At the age of nine, Zidane joined his first organized team, soon winning the captain’s armband. Two years later, he joined a more prestigious team, Septèmes-les-Vallons, where his skillful play earned him an invitation to try out for a regional team. While Zidane was showcasing his skills for this team, a scout for the Cannes team of the French second division noticed him. Zidane was fourteen, and joining Cannes meant moving to a city two hours from Marseille. Determined to become a professional soccer player, Zidane joined Cannes in July 1986.
The Road to Excellence
Like most European soccer clubs, Cannes fielded both a youth and a senior team. Arriving at Cannes, Zidane joined the youth team, where he remained for the following two years. However, the youth and senior teams trained together, allowing Zidane to learn from senior players. On May 20, 1989, shortly before he turned seventeen years of age, Zidane made his senior debut, coming on against Nantes in a first-division game. He played one other senior match in the 1988–89 season but none the following year. In the 1990–91 season, Zidane started regularly for the senior team, and on February 10, 1991, he scored his first professional goal. The 1991–92 season was Zidane’s last for Cannes. In June 1992, he was sold to Bordeaux for 3.5 million francs, approximately $700,000.
At Bordeaux, Zidane developed into one of France’s top players. In his first season, he scored ten goals, which was the highest total of his career. Following his second season, he was named French Young Footballer of the Year. In 1994, Zidane made his debut for the French national team. Entering in the sixty-third minute of a match against the Czech Republic, he scored twice in two minutes, earning France a 2–2 draw. Following his sensational debut, Zidane was a player of international renown.
The Emerging Champion
In May 1996, Zidane was sold to Juventus, one of Italy’s top teams. The transfer fee was 35 million francs, about USD$7 million, ten times what Bordeaux had paid Cannes. While at Juventus, Zidane won two Italian championships and many important tournaments. At the end of 1997, he finished third in the voting for the Ballon d’Or, the award given to Europe’s top soccer player. From 1996 to 2001, a magisterial Zidane dominated Italy’s Serie A. However, his greatest triumphs occurred in international matches.
The 1998 World Cup was held in France. Having helped his team into the final, Zidane scored twice against Brazil, heading both goals. Emmanuel Petit added a third goal to give France a 3–0 victory. Following the tournament, Zidane was a national hero, not just because he had helped France win the World Cup but also because he symbolized a new, multicultural France. In 1998, Zidane was named a knight of the French Legion of Honor, one of France’s highest honors. He was also voted French Footballer of the Year, European Footballer of the Year, and FIFA World Player of the Year.
In 2000, France won the European Championship, soccer’s second most important tournament. The victory represented the first time since 1974 that a nation had been simultaneously world and European champions. In July 2001, Zidane’s status as the world’s best player was confirmed when Real Madrid acquired him from Juventus for 76 million euros, approximately USD$66 million. The transfer fee was the largest ever paid.
Continuing the Story
In signing with Real Madrid, Zidane joined Luis Figo, Raúl, and Roberto Carlos as Galácticos in Real Madrid’s constellation of stars. Zidane’s first season at Real Madrid was his best. Having twice lost to Juventus in the Champions League final, Zidane helped Real Madrid to win the 2002 final, lashing a miracle volley to beat Bayer Leverkusen 2–1. Less satisfying was Zidane’s 2002 World Cup. After injuring himself five days before the tournament began, he watched France lose its first two games. Finally able to play against Denmark, Zidane was ineffective. France lost 2–0, exiting the tournament without scoring a goal.
In 2004, France again crashed out of an important tournament, losing to Greece in the quarterfinals of the European Championship. Six weeks later, Zidane announced his retirement from international soccer, citing age and fatigue. He was thirty-two years old.
Zidane’s retirement from international soccer lasted one year. In August 2005, concerned that France was in danger of missing the 2006 World Cup, Zidane rejoined the team. Inspired by Zidane’s return, France qualified for the World Cup in Germany. On July 9, 2006, in extra time of the World Cup Final, Zidane was given a red card for head-butting Italian defender Marco Materazzi during a verbal altercation. The score at the time was 1–1, with both Zidane and Materazzi having scored. The match ended with Italy winning on penalty kicks, and Zidane’s ejection arguably cost his team the tournament. More importantly, the move cost Zidane his playing career.
Zidane later went on to a high-visibility second career in coaching. Beginning in 2009, he served as an adviser to his former team, Real Madrid. In 2013, Zidane became assistant coach, working alongside Carlo Ancelotti. The following year, Zidane began coaching Real Madrid's reserve team, Castilla, which grooms young, up-and-coming stars. In January 2016, club president Florentino Pérez announced Zidane as the replacement for Rafael Benítez, the A team's coach. Critics warned that he lacked management experience at the elite level, but in the 2016–17 and 2017–18 seasons, Real Madrid won the Champions League tournament with Zidane's leadership. Following the 2018 tournament, he announced his resignation but returned to manage the team in 2019, leading the team to another La Liga title. He resigned in 2021. The same year, he was named in the IFFHS's All-Time Ranking of the World's Best Coach 1996–2020.
Zidane was a World Cup ambassador for the 2022 FIFA World Cup games and publicly supported Qatar's successful bid. He has also served as a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador since 2001. He was inducted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame in 2022. In interviews in mid-2024, Zidane expressed a desire to return to coaching.
Summary
Zinédine Zidane was one of the best players of his generation and one of the top players of all time. Zidane’s success was attributable to his ability to control the ball. Whether dribbling through a tangle of defenders, passing to a teammate on the opposite side of the field, or shooting at the goal from a difficult angle, Zidane guided the ball with uncanny precision. As a soccer player, Zidaneis remembered for his wondrous feats, not his 2006 moment of madness. He was the subject of three documentary films showcasing his craft. Zidane was also important for the role he played in unifying a multicultural French population. An iconic figure on France’s most successful team, Zidane embodied France’s increasing diversity.
Bibliography
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"IFFHS All Time Ranking of the World's Best Coach (1996-2020)." IFFHS, 25 Feb. 2021, www.iffhs.com/posts/974. Accessed 20 June 2024.
Minder, Raphael. "Real Madrid Replaces Rafael Benítez with Zinedine Zidane as Coach." New York Times, 4 Jan. 2016, www.nytimes.com/2016/01/05/sports/soccer/real-madrid-replaces-rafael-benitez-with-zinedine-zidane-as-coach.html.
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"Zinedine Zidane: Frenchman named Real Madrid coach as Rafael Benitez sacked." CNN, 6 Jan. 2016, www.cnn.com/2016/01/04/football/rafael-benitez-zinedine-zidane-real-madrid-football/index.html.