Zinadine Yazid Zidane, Zizou, Zidane....The great!

"The new Zidane"-Ferguson

2008-03-06T13:14:00.002+08:00

Man Utd boss Ferguson: Benzema new Zidane - March 03, 2008

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson regards Lyon star Karim Benzema as the 'new Zinedine Zidane'.

Fergie said: "He is a very strong boy, he reminds me of Zidane physique-wise and possibly pace-wise too.

"He is a natural centre-forward I think."

source: http://zinedine-zidane-news.newslib.com/story/1409-3238159/

Materazzi Wins Libel Action Against Daily Star Over Zidane Head-Butt

2008-03-06T13:10:00.002+08:00

Inter defender Marco Materazzi has won a libel action against the Daily Star after the newspaper published a series of false articles relating to Zinedine Zidane’s sending off during the 2006 World Cup final.

Zidane was infamously red-carded during Italy’s victory over France in Berlin after he head-butted Materazzi in the chest in extra time.

The next day the Daily Star, printed a series of defamatory articles in which they said that Zidane reacted after Materazzi called the Frenchman’s mum a “terrorist whore”.

It was later revealed by 'The Matrix' that Zidane’s sister was the subject of the insult and that no racism or the word "terrorist" was ever used, however the newspaper failed to correct their error or apologise.

This left them open to libel, and Materazzi’s lawyers issued a High Court action for damages in July 2007, claiming “enormous damage to the footballer’s reputation”.

The 34-year-old’s lawyer, Steven Heffer, has revealed that the Daily Star have agreed to publicly apologise and will now have to pay the Matrix damages plus foot the bill for legal costs.

“The Daily Star now accepts that these allegations are wholly untrue and there is no question of Marco having said anything of a racist nature to Zidane whatsoever,” said Heffer.

“The Daily Star agreed to apologise publicly to Marco Materazzi, both in the newspaper and by way of statement in court. The Daily Star will also be paying substantial damages and his legal costs.”

source: http://zinedine-zidane-news.newslib.com/story/1409-3238158/

Ronaldo will back in action-Zidane

2008-03-06T12:39:00.001+08:00

The Brazilian ruptured the tendon in his knee last week, and after undergoing surgery he is expected to be out of the game for at least nine-to-twelve months.

At the age of 31, and having already suffered this same injury twice in his career, many believe that the player’s career is over.

However Zidane who played with Ronaldo at Real Madrid is confident that his friend will pull through.

"I have played a long time with him, we are very good friends,” said the Frenchman. "It is true that I've seen him and spoken on the phone, it is sad.

"He came back even stronger [from injury] in the World Cup of 2002. It is true that his age is important, but I hope he can do it again."

Zidane, who retired from the game in 2006, was the centre of an amusing story earlier in the week regarding Ronaldo.

Having rung up the hospital where the Brazilian was staying, Zidane asked to speak to the bed-ridden star but was refused permission because the telephone operator did not know who Zidane was.

source: http://zinedine-zidane-news.newslib.com/story/1409-3238141/

Watch or download Zidane Video compilation!

2007-04-04T22:55:00.000+08:00

Here the video that i produce, just use movie maker then i upload it to Revver .com. This video have good quality in 13:46 minute. Also can download it. For zidane fans, enjoy!

Zidane video download

Ronaldo and Zidane kick off Greener Transport Bid for 2010 World Cup

2007-03-22T07:29:00.000+08:00

UNDP Goodwill Ambassadors praise South Africa and UN’s eco-friendly vision at the opening of major environment conference in Cape Town

Cape Town - Renowned international footballers Ronaldo Luiz Nazariode Lima and Zinédine Zidane today issued a joint statement supporting plans to build a cleaner and healthier public transport system in South Africa in time for the 2010 World Cup.

“The FIFA World Cup is a stage for the skills and talents of the world’s finest footballers, and teams. But it is also a real opportunity to showcase the talents of engineers, designers, architects and city planners and their solutions for a cleaner, fairer, and ultimately more just planet,” read the statement.

The eco-friendly project, which was highlighted today at the opening of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Assembly in Cape Town, is being submitted by the South African Government to the GEF through the United Nations Development Programme. The Assembly is the governing body of the GEF in which representatives of all its member countries participate.

This is the first time an African country will host the world’s greatest football tournament, and with 300,000 international visitors anticipated, the South Africa Government wants to ensure that the existing unreliable, polluting and sometimes dangerous public transport system gets more than just a face lift.

The project will investigate clean energy alternatives to fossil fuel-driven transport, will make public transport a viable alternative to private cars for match spectators, and will implement better, sustainable transport planning around the country.

“We hope the realization of the ‘Sustainable Public Transport and Sport: An Eco-friendly Vision’ project will, when the final whistle blows, have played its part in making the next FIFA World Cup a healthier, more enjoyable and more inclusive event while acting as a catalyst for the development of 21st century public transport across Africa and the developing world,” said the footballers.

Transport in South Africa accounts for 24 percent of total energy consumption and it is estimated that the number of cars on the road will grow by 64 percent by 2020.

“This project is about much more than the mobility of footballers and fans,” said Ad Melkert, Associate Administrator and Under-Secretary-General for UNDP, who will participate in the GEF conference. “It will leave a lasting legacy with South Africa taking the lead in pushing back pollution that is now ‘suffocating’ many of the poor.”

"The greatest two, Zidane and Ronaldo......."

....Funny Zidane

2007-03-02T15:34:00.000+08:00

....what..? i don't think its funny..just laugh for credit..ha....h..ha

Zidane still around!

2007-03-02T14:45:00.000+08:00

.............Do you think He still can football?

Zidane hails Asian football's progress

2007-02-28T19:24:00.000+08:00

French star Zinedine Zidane praised Asian football's "big step forward" on Saturday when he dazzled more than 10,000 fans at a charity match in northern Thailand.

Zidane said players like Japan's Shunsuke Nakamura, who has high praise with Scottish league leaders Celtic, were helping to inspire a generation.

"Asian football is in the process of making a big step forward," Zidane said before taking the field with two teams of Southeast Asian players. "When you see players like Nakamura who are playing in Europe ... they are bringing something positive to Asian football. It is also good for future players who are here among us today, who could make this step forward and play in a big European team."

Crowds of supporters queued for hours to see the three-time FIFA World Player of the Year perform, while scores of fans without tickets lingered outside. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to watch a superstar," enthused nursing student Tirada Haengkoat, 20, who had queued for hours for a ticket.

Zidane to join Red Bulls?

2007-02-14T06:04:00.000+08:00

Zidane to join Red Bulls?

Zinedine Zidane was spotted in New York this week fuelling rumours that he could be making a move to Major League Soccer.
It's thought that the French legend, whose international career ended in controversial circumstances due to his World Cup final headbutt on Marco Matterazzi, could be setting up a move to the New York Red Bulls.

If the move was to go ahead, he would join his former team-mate David Beckham in the MLS. Beckham is already signed up to to turn out for LA Galaxy next season.
It would be a major coup for the Red Bulls if they could attract the France '98 World Cup winning captain, who is widely regarded as the finest player of his generation. Technical Director Jeff Agoos is excited by the prospect and said, "I'd love to go out with him though, if he's coming here and we'd certainly be interested in having him."

Zidane to join Red Bulls?

Zidane Videos

2006-10-25T21:19:00.000+08:00

Get zinadine zidane great short video. i just post today. i don't know what to put here anymore. today i'm free, and don't know what to do, so i just give this link to the net, even my blog has no visitor(hahaha), coz i build this blog for satisfies myself to appreciate zidane as my inspiration in football. Zidane for life!!

Zidane Vidoes

Matthewfulham

Zidane Movie

2006-10-23T21:47:00.000+08:00

Zidane, Un Portrait Du 21e Siecle

Directed by Douglas Gordon
Philippe Parreno
Starring:Zinedine Zidane,
Ronaldo
Music by Mogwai
Distributed by Universal International
Release date 2006
Running time 91 min.
Language French
IMDb profile

Zidane, un portrait du 21e siècle (a.k.a Zidane, A 21st Century Portrait) is a documentary film in which Zinedine Zidane, the French football player is the main subject.

The film is a documentary filmed from Zidane's perspective during the Spanish Liga Real Madrid vs. Villarreal CF game on April 23, 2005 at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium and was filmed in real time using 17 synchronized cameras.

Trivia

The film bears a remarkable similarity to Football As Never Before (aka "Fußball wie noch nie"), a documentary made in 1970 by acclaimed German filmmaker Hellmuth Costard about Manchester United footballer George Best. In this experimental film Costard used eight 16mm film cameras to follow Best, in real time, for the course of an entire game against Coventry City.

Trivia

2006-10-23T20:50:00.000+08:00

* Zidane's name is of Arabic origin (Algerian Arabic: Zīn ad-Dīn Yazīd Zīdān, Arabic: زين الدين يزيد زيدان‎, transliteration: Zayn-u-Dīn Yazīd Zaydān). Zinedine translates to "the beautiful one of the path" (Arabic Zayn-u-Dīn—from zayn, "beauty", and dīn, "path"). Yazid is a boy's name, sometimes spelled Yazeed (Arabic Yazīd, "one who increases, becoming greater"). Zidane is expressing the overabundance of something that the bearer of name is said to possess, such as talent (Arabic Zaydān—from zayd, "overabundant", and an, "two"). The nickname Zizou was given to Zidane by coach Rolland Courbis while Zidane played for Bordeaux. Yaz is the nickname given to him by his brothers and used by his family and close friends.

* Allegations by members of controversial French right-wing party Front National that Zidane's father was a Harki (an Algerian who fought for the French during the Algerian War of Independence), have been strongly denied by Zidane. He is said to be very proud of his family and his heritage, identifying himself as "first, a Kabyle from La Castellane, then an Algerian from Marseille, and then a Frenchman."

* Zidane is known to be modest, quiet and shy. However, he has occasionally shown a quick temper on the pitch. Besides his controversial offence in the 2006 World Cup final, he received a red card and a two-game suspension for stomping on Saudi Arabia's team captain Fuad Amin in the 1998 World Cup – allegedly in response to an insult – and headbutted Jochen Kientz in a 2000/2001 Champions League match between Juventus and Hamburger SV, for which he was also sent off.Overall, he was sent off 14 times in his career. He is one of four players that have been sent off in a World Cup final, one of two players that have been sent off during two different World Cup tournaments (the other player being Cameroon's Rigobert Song) and the only player ever to be sent off during extra time of a World Cup final.

* Zidane has had sponsorship deals with companies including Adidas, Lego, Danone, Generali, France Télécom, Orange, Audi, Ford and Christian Dior. Sponsorship deals like these earned him €8.6 million on top of his €6.4 million Real Madrid salary in the 2005-06 season, making him the sixth highest paid football player. In 2004, Forbes magazine had named him the 42nd highest paid athlete in the world at earnings of US$15.8 million a year.

* Zidane is the President for Life for Nouvelle Vague , a club in Marseille coached by his brother Farid (فريد).

* In 2001, Zidane was appointed as the United Nations Development Programme Goodwill Ambassador for the fight against poverty.

* Since 2000, Zidane has been consistently voted one of the most popular French personalities in newspaper polls. He was voted most popular in 2000, 2003, 2004 and 2006, second most popular in 2005, and fourth most popular in 2001 and in 2002.

FIFA investigation

2006-10-23T08:46:00.000+08:00

FIFA investigation

In light of Zidane's statements, FIFA opened disciplinary proceedings to investigate the incident. FIFA also affirmed the legality of Horacio Elizondo's decision to send Zidane off, rejecting claims that fourth official Luis Medina Cantalejo had illegally relied on video transmission before informing Elizondo about Zidane's misconduct. As a result of its investigation, FIFA issued a CHF5000 fine and a two-match ban against Materazzi, while Zidane received a three-match ban and a CHF7500 fine. According to FIFA, both players had stressed that Materazzi's comments had been defamatory, but not of a racist nature. Since Zidane was already retired at the time, he served three days of community service on FIFA's behalf, as a substitute for the three-match ban.

Zinadine Zidane

Reactions

2006-10-23T08:40:00.000+08:00

Reactions

After the final, President Jacques Chirac hailed Zidane as a national hero and called him a "man of heart and conviction".Chirac later added that he found the offence to be unacceptable, but that he understood that Zidane had been provoked.President Abdelaziz Bouteflika of Algeria expressed his solidarity with Zidane in a letter of support. French newspaper Le Figaro called the headbutt "odious" and "unacceptable". The editor-in-chief of French sports daily L'Equipe compared Zidane's greatness to Muhammad Ali's, but added that Ali, Jesse Owens and Pelé had never "broken the most elementary rules of sport" as Zidane had. He questioned how Zidane could explain the offence to "millions of children around the world", but apologised the following day. Algerian newspaper L'Expression accused Italy of being "xenophobic", while a commentator for TIME magazine regarded the incident as a symbol for Europe's "grappling with multi-culturalism". Zidane's sponsors announced that they would stick with him. The incident was extensively lampooned on the internet and in popular culture.

Zinadine Zidane

Materazzi's Confession

2006-10-23T08:39:00.000+08:00

Materazzi's Confession

On 5 September 2006, Materazzi told the daily Gazzetta dello Sport "I did not provoke him, I responded verbally to a provocation. We both spoke and I wasn't the first. I held his shirt but don't you think it is a provocation to say that 'if you want my shirt I will give it you afterwards'? I replied to Zidane that I would prefer his sister, that is true. I brought up his sister and that wasn't a nice thing, that is true. Thankfully there are tens of footballers who could confirm that much worse things are said on the field." "He has not apologised to me and I certainly don't have to apologise to him. If anything, I owe apologies to his sister, although I swear, before all this mess I didn't even know Zidane had a sister". The Inter Milan defender then added, "If peace can be made after terrible wars, can Zidane and I not make peace? A peace between men, without much publicity, certainly yes. The door of my house will always be open to him and if he wants, Zidane knows how to find out my address.

Zinadine Zidane

Provocation

2006-10-23T08:35:00.000+08:00

Provocation

Since video footage suggested that Materazzi had provoked Zidane, newspapers had lip readers try to determine what Materazzi had said, coming up with a variety of insults. Materazzi admitted insulting Zidane, but said that Zidane's behaviour had been very arrogant. He stressed that the insults had been trivial. Zidane later stated that Materazzi had seriously and repeatedly insulted his mother and his sister and that he would "rather have taken a blow to the face than hear that". He also apologized to viewers, particularly children and educators, but said that he did not regret his offence because he felt that this would condone Materazzi's actions.

Zinadine Zidane

Confrontation with Marco Materazzi

2006-10-23T08:26:00.000+08:00

Confrontation with Marco Materazzi

In the 110th minute of the World Cup final against Italy, Zidane was sent off for headbutting Marco Materazzi(watch vidoe above) in the chest in an off the ball incident. The two players exchanged words before Zidane began to walk away from him. Materazzi then shouted something to Zidane, who turned around, made a run-up and head-butted Materazzi in the chest, sending him to the ground. Although play was halted, referee Horacio Elizondo did not appear to have seen the confrontation. According to match official's reports, Fourth official Luis Medina Cantalejo informed Elizondo of the incident through his earphones. After consulting his assistant referees, Elizondo showed Zidane the red card and sent him off.

Zinadine Zidane

Confrontation with Marco Materazzi

2006-10-23T08:23:00.000+08:00

Confrontation with Marco Materazzi

Zinedine Zidane headbutting Marco Materazzi during the 2006 World Cup Final (see animated image, video, front angle video)
In the 110th minute of the World Cup final against Italy, Zidane was sent off for headbutting Marco Materazzi in the chest in an off the ball incident.

Zinadine Zidane

2006 World Cup

2006-10-23T06:42:00.000+08:00

2006 World Cup

In the closing minutes of France's second match of the 2006 FIFA World Cup, against South Korea, Zidane received a yellow card for a late tackle, his second booking of the tournament. As a result, he was suspended from the third and final match of the group stage. France nonetheless beat Togo 2-0, allowing Zidane to play in the knockout stage, from which he would score or assist in every match afterwards. He returned to the pitch in the Round of 16 match against Spain. Zidane set up Patrick Vieira for the second goal by sending a free kick into the penalty area. During stoppage time, he scored the final goal of the match for a 3-1 victory.
The win sent France into a quarter-final against defending champions Brazil, in a rematch of the 1998 final. Zidane's free-kick led to a goal by Thierry Henry, giving France a 1-0 win over the Seleção. Despite the score, France had thoroughly outplayed Brazil in the match, only facing one shot on goal, while Zidane created numerous scoring chances with his dribbles past defenders, displaying some of his trademark juggling as Brazillians swarmed around him. He was named Man of the Match by FIFA's Technical Study Group. In the semi-final against Portugal four days later, Zidane scored a penalty kick against Ricardo for the only goal of the match and saw France through to the final against Italy.
On 9 July 2006, Zidane played his second World Cup final—his final game—and scored in the 7th minute from the penalty spot with a chip shot that hit the crossbar before narrowly bouncing behind the goal line. He became one of only four footballers to achieve the feat of scoring in two different World Cup finals, sharing the honour with Pelé, Paul Breitner, and Vavá. This goal also made him one of the top goalscorers in World Cup final matches, with 3 goals, tied for first place with Vavá, Geoff Hurst and Pelé. He was sent off in the 110th minute, and thus did not participate in the penalty shootout which Italy won 5-3.
Despite the subsequent controversy over his offence in the final, Zidane was awarded the Golden Ball as Best Player in the 2006 World Cup after a poll of journalists covering the tournament. He received 2,012 votes, edging Italy's Fabio Cannavaro (1,977 votes) and Andrea Pirlo (715 votes). The ballot remained open until midnight on the day of the final, making it impossible to determine how many votes were cast before Zidane's offence.

Zinadine Zidane

Injuries, retirement and comeback (2002–2006)

2006-10-23T06:37:00.000+08:00

Injuries, retirement and comeback (2002–2006)

A thigh injury prevented Zidane from playing in France's first two matches of the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He rushed back from his injury to play in the third game, but could not perform at his usual level. France was eliminated in the first round without scoring a single goal, and the attempt at defending the World Cup title was unsuccessful.
In the Euro 2004 tournament, Zidane and his team started strongly, and he scored a free kick and a penalty in a come-from-behind victory against England in the group stage. On 12 August 2004, after France was upset in the quarter-finals to the eventual winners, the Greek national football team, Zidane retired from international football.
However, after France experienced problems in qualifying for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Zidane announced on 3 August 2005 that he was coming back to play for France and was reinstated as captain of the national team.He made his competitive return in the 3-0 FIFA World Cup qualifier win against the Faroe Islands on 3 September 2005, and France went on to win their qualifying group. On 25 April 2006, after an injury-plagued season at Real Madrid, Zidane announced that he would retire from professional football following the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals in Germany.
On 27 May 2006, Zidane earned his 100th cap for France in a 1-0 victory over Mexico at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis on the outskirts of Paris. It was his last match in the stadium, and he became only the fourth French player after Marcel Desailly, Didier Deschamps and Lilian Thuram to earn a hundred national caps. He was substituted early in the second half

Zinadine Zidane

2000 European Championship

2006-10-23T06:36:00.001+08:00

2000 European Championship

In the Euro 2000 tournament, Zidane helped his team reach the final with inspired play and important goals. He scored a direct free kick in the quarter-final against Spain and a golden goal penalty in the semi-final against Portugal. France went on to win the tournament by defeating Italy in the final, making it the first team in 34 years to hold both the World Cup and the European Cup. Subsequently, his team was ranked 1st in the world.

Zinadine Zidane

1998 World Cup

2006-10-23T06:34:00.000+08:00

1998 World Cup

Zidane was a member of the French national football team that won the 1998 FIFA World Cup. During France's second match of the first round, he received a red card and a two-game suspension in a 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia for stamping on Saudi Arabia's team captain Fuad Amin. Reports from people close to Zidane stated that Amin had provoked him verbally. After scoring in the penalty shootout in the quarter-final against Italy, he scored his only regular goals of the tournament in the final against Brazil, leading his team to a 3-0 win.

Zinadine Zidane

International Career

2006-10-23T06:30:00.000+08:00

Zidane holds dual citizenship of both France and Algeria, and therefore could have played for Algeria. However, coach Abdelhamid Kermali denied him a position on the team, arguing that the young midfielder was not fast enough.
He earned his first cap with the French national football team on 17 August 1994, coming on as a substitute in the 63rd minute of a friendly match against the Czech Republic. France was behind 0-2 when Zidane came on and scored two goals for a 2-2 draw.
At that time, manager Aimé Jacquet had planned to field the team around Manchester United star Eric Cantona, but after Cantona earned a year long suspension in January of 1995, Jacquet rearranged the team and positioned Zidane as playmaker. Despite criticism from fans and pundits regarding the choice of players, France made it to the semi-finals of the Euro 1996, their best performance in an international tournament since the 1986 FIFA World Cup.

Zinadine Zidane

Turin and Madrid (1996–2006)

2006-10-23T06:07:00.000+08:00

Turin and Madrid (1996–2006)

At Juventus, Zidane was one of the top players of Marcello Lippi's team, along with Didier Deschamps, Alessandro Del Piero, and Edgar Davids. His team won two Serie A titles and reached two consecutive UEFA Champions League finals, in 1997 and 1998, losing both, the latter to the Spanish club Real Madrid.
In 2001, Zidane was transferred to Real Madrid on a four-year contract. The transfer fee was € 66 million, the highest in football history. His fellow Galacticos at Madrid included David Beckham, Raúl González, Luís Figo, Ronaldo, and Roberto Carlos. He scored a spectacular winning goal in a 2-1 win over the German team Bayer Leverkusen in the 2001-2002 Champions League final at Glasgow's Hampden Park.
On 7 May 2006, Zidane played his last home game for Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium. His team-mates wore special jerseys that had ZIDANE 2001–2006 written on the bottom of the club logo. The Real Madrid fans gave him a warm reception and kept cheering him throughout the game. The opposing team was Villarreal CF, and the game ended in a 3-3 draw. He scored the second goal for Real Madrid. After the game, Zidane swapped jerseys with Juan Roman Riquelme, the Villarreal CF and Argentinian midfielder. Zidane was given an ovation by spectators, which left him in tears.

Zinadine Zidane

Early career, Cannes and Bordeaux (1988–1996)

2006-10-23T06:03:00.000+08:00

Early career, Cannes and Bordeaux (1988–1996)

Zidane got his start in football at an early age when he joined the junior team of US Saint-Henri, his local club in the La Castellane district of Marseille. On the recommendation of Saint-Henri's coach, he was then signed by Septemes Sports Olympiques. At the age of 14, Zidane left Septemes and participated in the first year junior selection for the league championship, where Jean Varraud, AS Cannes' recruiter, took notice of him. Zidane went to Cannes for what was intended to be a six-week stay, but remained at the club for four years to play with professionals. Afterwards, Zidane spent four years with FC Girondins de Bordeaux, leading them to victory in the 1995 Intertoto Cup and to a 2nd place in the 1995/96 UEFA Cup tournament. In Bordeaux, he met Bixente Lizarazu and Christophe Dugarry, with whom he played a set of midfield combinations that would become the trademark of both Bordeaux and the 1998 French national team. In 1996, he was transferred to Italy's Juventus F.C. for a fee of £ 3 million, reportedly against his own will.

Zinadine Zidane

Zidane career

2006-10-23T05:19:00.000+08:00

Zidane career

Zidane got his start in football at an early age when he joined the junior team of US Saint-Henri, his local club in the La Castellane district of Marseille. On the recommendation of Saint-Henri's coach, he was then signed by Septemes Sports Olympiques. At the age of 14, Zidane left Septemes and participated in the first year junior selection for the league championship, where Jean Varraud, AS Cannes' recruiter, took notice of him. Zidane went to Cannes for what was intended to be a six-week stay, but remained at the club for four years to play with professionals.>>>> More at Career Tab.

Zinadine Zidane

Biography

2006-10-22T23:27:00.000+08:00

Zinédine Yazid Zidane (born June 23, 1972, in Marseille, France), nicknamed Zizou, is a French football player for Real Madrid and formerly France. He is a Muslim of Algerian Kabyle Berber ethnic origin. Through his status as a prominent Frenchman of Maghrebi descent, he promotes racial and religious tolerance, especially among the youth.>>>>See More Zidane biography at Biography tab.

Zinedine Zidane Titles and Honours

2006-10-22T22:38:00.000+08:00

Zinedine Zidane Titles and Honours
With the French national team:

FIFA World Cup
Winner: 1998
Appearances: 1998, 2002
European Championship
Winner: 2000
Appearances: 1996, 2000, 2004

With Juventus:
European Super Cup: 1996
Intercontinental Cup: 1996
Serie A champions: 1996/1997, 1997/1998
Italian Super Cup: 1997

With Real Madrid:
UEFA Champions League: 2001/2002
European Super Cup: 2002
Intercontinental Cup: 2002
Spanish League - La Liga champions: 2002/2003

Personal honours:
FIFA World Player of the Year: 1998, 2000, 2003
European Footballer of the Year (Ballon d'Or): 1998

Golden Ball Award: World cup 2006

Chevalier (Knight) of the Légion d'honneur: since 1998
Torchbearer for the 2004 Summer Olympics
Prince of Asturias Awards nomination in the Sports category, 2006.

Zinadine Zidane

From Marseille To Galacticos

2006-10-22T22:10:00.000+08:00

Zinedine Zidane was born June 23, 1972, in Marseille, France. Zidane got his start in football (known as soccer in North America) at an early age, when he joined the US Saint-Henri club.

He moved on to Septemes Sports Olympiques after the coach convinced the director of the club to sign him. After leaving Septemes at the age of 14, Zidane participated in the first year junior selection for the league championship, the same year he was discovered.

Off to Cannes

He was called in for 3 days at the sport regional centre in Aix-en-Provence, where Jean Varraud, Cannes' recruiter, noticed the French/Algerian player. He ventured off to Cannes for what was intended to be a six-week stay, but remained even longer. Playing with professionals at the age of 16, it would only be a matter of time when he too would turn pro, and he knew he was on his way to realizing his dreams.Showing the determination of an athlete who wants to exceed expectations, Zidane had played his first game in First Division at the age of 17, and it was from then that football went from an ambition to a passion.

The Cannes midfielder scored his first goal on February 8th, 1991 (he received a Clio as a promise from the Cannes President, who promised him a car when he scored his first goal as a professional), and his first season with the club was marked by a qualification for the UEFA Cup.Zidane's second season with Cannes wasn't as promising, but on the non-professional front he met his future wife Veronique, a Spanish dancer. After a lukewarm 91-92 season, Zidane felt it was time for a change and switched to Bordeaux after he was asked to sign a four-year contract. Marseille also wanted Zidane, but Bordeaux proved to want him more.

Kicking and soaring
His beginning with Bordeaux was hard on 24-year-old Zidane, as it forced him to adapt, but once he did, he did so with flying colours. Not only did Bordeaux qualify every year that Zidane played with the team, but Bordeaux also qualified for the UEFA Cup through Intertoto and went to the final in 95-96, Zidane's last year with the team.
At the same time, Juventus sought out Zidane, and after his four crucial seasons with Bordeaux, he moved to Torino. Again, Zidane was forced to adapt to the Italian way of playing as well as to the lifestyle, but after his first year, he was a bona fide star.It was with Juventus that Zidane won titles, as Winner of the 1996 European Super Cup, the 1996 European/South American Cup, Winner of the 1997 League Super Cup, named 1997 and 1998 Italy Champion, and Finalist of the 1997 and 1998 Champions League.His individual awards include the Golden Ball in 1998, and he was named Best Player of the Year by the FIFA in 1998 and 2000.

Most expensive football player
In 2001, Zizou became the most expensive player in football history when Real Madrid acquired him for 46 million pounds (roughly $66 million US Dollars). Even if he does have to adapt to the Spanish way of life, he certainly won't have to adapt to being the star player, nor the award winner.
Zinedine and Veronique have two sons, Enzo (named after Enzo Francescoli) and Luca. In addition to promoting a slew of sports products, Zidane is also Christian Dior's first male model.

Zinadine Zidane

Zidane Biography

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Zinédine Yazid Zidane (born June 23, 1972, in Marseille, France), nicknamed Zizou, is a French football player for Real Madrid and formerly France. He is a Muslim of Algerian Kabyle Berber ethnic origin. Through his status as a prominent Frenchman of Maghrebi descent, he promotes racial and religious tolerance, especially among the youth.Zidane was a member of the French football team in the 1998 World Cup, which France won, scoring two goals in the final against Brazil.
Two years later, he led his country to a second major championship, winning Euro 2000. He has been elected three times as FIFA World Player of the Year (1998, 2000, 2003). Zidane is often considered to be the best footballer in the world, and perhaps one of the most talented players of all time. An elegant dribbler of the ball, Zidane's passing ability and perfect balance make him one of the best playmakers in the world and the natural successor of France's Michel Platini.In 2001 Zidane transferred from Italian team Juventus to Spanish club side Real Madrid on a four-year contract. The transfer fee was US$64.45 million, making him the most expensive player in football history. While Zidane initially took a while to settle in among the superstars of Madrid, the season culminated in him helping Madrid and scoring the winning goal with a fantastic volley in a 2-1 win over the German team Bayer Leverkusen in the 2001-2002 Champions League Final.Injuries prevented him from reprising his 1998 performance in the 2002 World Cup.

France's defence of their trophy was one of the most unsuccessful in World Cup history, the team being eliminated in the First Round without scoring a single goal.Zidane is well-liked in France, and is known to be a modest, quiet, even to the point of being shy, footballer. He is married to a French woman of Spanish descent and has three children. As a Guardian feature article says, however, Zidane has also occasional flashes of aggression on the pitch.In 2004, Zidane was named to the FIFA 100, a list of the 125 greatest living footballers selected by Pelé as a part of FIFA's centenary celebrations. In 2004, he was also voted the best European player for the past 50 years in the UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll.He was an Athens 2004 Torchbearer. On August 12, 2004 Zidane retired from international football. He announced on February 4, 2005 that he would retire from the game at the end of his current contract with Real Madrid, at the end of the 2006/07 season.

Zinadine Zidane The Profile

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Profile
Name: Zinedine Yazid Zidane.
Birth date: June 23, 1972.
:: Birth place: Marseille (France).
:: Nationality: French.
:: Height: 185 cm.
:: Weight: 80 kg.
:: Position: Midfielder.

:: His Teams:
Cannes (France, 1987 - 1992).
Girondins (France, 1992- 1996).
Juventus (Italy, 1996- 2001).
Real Madrid (Spain, 2001-06).

Zinadine Zidane