Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Yazid Zidane, born 23 June 1972), nicknamed "Zizou", is a French retired footballer and current manager of Real Madrid. He played as an attacking midfielder for the France national team, Cannes, Bordeaux, Juventus and Real Madrid. Renowned for his elegance, vision, ball control and technique, Zidane was named the best European footballer of the past 50 years in the UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the game...
NationalityFrench
ProfessionSoccer Player
Date of Birth23 June 1972
CityMarseille, France
CountryFrance
I want to give something to the children that soccer has given to me.
The French team has given me so much and I want to help it. I told myself I did not have much time left in soccer, and I want to profit from it to the maximum.
It's the first time it's happened to me and maybe the last. It's a strange sensation, not normal for me. I can't remember scoring three goals, even when I was a kid.
I was lucky to come from a difficult area. It teaches you not just about football but also life. There were lots of kids from different races and poor families. People had to struggle to get through the day.
I'm very inspired by him-it was my father who taught us that an immigrant must work twice as hard as anybody else, that he must never give up.
I don't know if we are the best team in the world. I am lucky to be playing alongside some of the best players around. It's a dream.
I am proud of where I come from and I will never forget the people I grew up with.
I once cried because I had no shoes to play soccer, but one day, I met a man who had no feet
It's simple. If we want to have our destiny in our own hands, we need to win our four matches.
After the World Cup, I will stop playing football.
I'm disappointed and happy at the same time that he's not here,
I have six months or one year left, that's true. I am closer to the end than the start. I want to make the most of my last moments as a football player and experience them at 100%. I know that otherwise after I retire I will regret all those times.
I have no doubt ? our players play for some of the best clubs in Europe. I am convinced that our players are only just a little short of what is needed to carry us a long way. We have to do everything we can to achieve that because it will be the last chance for players like me.
I've got a year and three months left on my contract. We'll get through these three months, get ready for a nice World Cup and then we'll see.