Zinedine Zidane

Full name Zinedine Yazid (la'na) Zidane
Date of birth June 23, 1972
Place of birth Marseille, France
Nickname Zizou
Position Midfielder

A little bit about Zidane

Zinedine Yazid Zidane (born June 23, 1972, in Marseille, France), nicknamed Zizou, is a French football player for Real Madrid and France, widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the world. He is a devout 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 young and in his personal life. His wife, Veronique, a former dancer and model, is of Christian origin, a Frenchwoman of Spanish ancestry; married in 1993, they have four sons named Enzo, Luca, Théo and Elyas.

Zidane is often considered to be one of the best footballers in the world still playing, and certainly among the most talented. Zidane's dribbling of the ball and passing ability as a midfielder has earned him the nickname of 'genius' and 'magician' by the world's sport media (Luis Omar Tapia from ESPN calls him ' Harry Potter' in reverence of his 'magical' abilities). Zidane's well-maintained balance makes him one of the game's finest players and the natural successor to France's Michel Platini.

On 25 April 2006 Zidane officially announced his decision to retire after the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Legacy

Zidane is one of the football icons of his generation and is known to be modest, quiet and self-admittedly shy. As a Guardian feature article says, however, Zidane has also occasional flashes of aggression on the pitch. Such a display of aggression, Zidane showed when he was red carded for headbutting Jochen Kientz in a 2000/2001 Champions League match for Juventus against Hamburger SV.

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.

In the final stages of his career, many pundits and fans alike already identify him as the most important player of his generation and his name is regularly mentioned alongside former greats such as Di Stéfano, Pele, Cruyff and Maradona. Sadly, Zidane will retire after the 2006 World Cup.