Zinedine Zidane

Zinedine Zidane

Name: Zinédine Yazid Zidane (commonly known as Zizou)

Introduction: Zinédine Zidane is a French professional football manager and former player. Widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, he was an elegant and visionary attacking midfielder known for his exceptional ball control, passing, and technique. After a storied playing career, he transitioned into an incredibly successful managerial career, particularly with Real Madrid.

Date of birth: June 23, 1972

Height: 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m)

Place of birth: La Castellane, Marseille, France

Family:

  • Parents’ names: Smaïl Zidane (father) and Malika Zidane (mother). They are Algerian immigrants from the Kabylie region of northern Algeria.
  • Siblings: He has four older siblings: Lila, Madjid, Nourredine, and Farid (who passed away in 2019).
  • Spouse: Véronique Zidane (née Fernández Lentisco) (m. 1994), a former dancer of Spanish descent.
  • Children:
    • Enzo Zidane (son, born 1995) – footballer
    • Luca Zidane (son, born 1998) – footballer (goalkeeper)
    • Théo Zidane (son, born 2002) – footballer
    • Elyaz Zidane (son, born 2005) – footballer
  • Relatives: His parents, siblings, wife, and four sons. All of his sons have pursued football careers, primarily through Real Madrid’s youth academy.

Profession: Former professional footballer (attacking midfielder), professional football manager.

Nationality: French (of Algerian descent)

Religion: Muslim (he identifies as a non-practicing Muslim). He has been seen praying before games, but does not openly discuss his religious practices.

College or university attended: He did not attend a traditional university, as he dedicated his youth to football, joining AS Cannes’ youth academy at 14.

Biography and What Famous For:

Zinédine Zidane grew up in a working-class neighborhood in Marseille. His parents immigrated from Algeria before the Algerian War. He honed his skills playing street football before joining the youth academy of AS Cannes at 14.

Playing Career:

Zidane’s professional playing career began with Cannes in 1989. He then moved to Bordeaux in 1992, where he established himself as a top talent in French football.

His star rose internationally after a move to Italian club Juventus in 1996. During his five seasons in Turin, he won two Serie A titles, one UEFA Super Cup, one Intercontinental Cup, and reached two UEFA Champions League finals. His performances earned him the FIFA World Player of the Year award in 1998 and the Ballon d’Or.

In 2001, Zidane made a then-world-record transfer to Real Madrid, joining their “Galácticos” era. With Real Madrid, he won:

  • One UEFA Champions League (2002), famously scoring a stunning left-footed volley in the final against Bayer Leverkusen, widely considered one of the greatest goals in the competition’s history.
  • One La Liga title (2002–03).
  • One UEFA Super Cup and one Intercontinental Cup.
    He won FIFA World Player of the Year twice more (2000, 2003).

Internationally, Zidane was the lynchpin of the French national team. He is famous for:

  • 1998 FIFA World Cup: Leading France to victory on home soil, scoring two iconic headers in the final against Brazil to secure a 3-0 win. This triumph made him a national hero.
  • UEFA Euro 2000: Guiding France to another major international title, becoming the first team to hold both the World Cup and European Championship simultaneously. He was named Player of the Tournament.
  • 2006 FIFA World Cup: Despite being initially retired, he returned for the tournament and delivered an outstanding performance, leading France to the final. His career ended infamously when he was sent off in the final against Italy for headbutting Marco Materazzi, but he was still awarded the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player.

Zidane officially retired from professional football after the 2006 World Cup final.

Managerial Career:

After retiring, Zidane transitioned into coaching and administration at Real Madrid. He served as an advisor, sporting director, and assistant manager before taking charge of Real Madrid Castilla (the reserve team).

His managerial career took off spectacularly when he was appointed head coach of Real Madrid’s first team in January 2016. He became one of the most successful managers in football history in a very short span:

  • Three consecutive UEFA Champions League titles (2016, 2017, 2018): A historic achievement, making Real Madrid the first club in the Champions League era to win three in a row.
  • Two La Liga titles (2016–17, 2019–20).
  • Two FIFA Club World Cups, two UEFA Super Cups, and two Spanish Super Cups.

He unexpectedly resigned in May 2018 but returned to the club in March 2019, leading them to another La Liga title. He resigned again in May 2021.

Zidane is famous for:

  • His unparalleled elegance and skill as a player: Widely considered one of the most technically gifted midfielders ever.
  • Winning the FIFA World Cup (1998) and Euro (2000) with France.
  • Scoring the iconic Champions League winning goal in 2002.
  • His astonishing success as a manager: Guiding Real Madrid to a historic Champions League three-peat.
  • His calm demeanor and leadership both on and off the pitch.

Have participated:

Clubs as Player:

  • AS Cannes (1989–1992)
  • FC Girondins de Bordeaux (1992–1996)
  • Juventus FC (1996–2001)
  • Real Madrid CF (2001–2006)

National Team as Player:

  • France (1994–2006) – 108 caps, 31 goals

Clubs as Manager:

  • Real Madrid Castilla (Assistant Manager, 2014)
  • Real Madrid Castilla (Manager, 2014–2016)
  • Real Madrid CF (Manager, 2016–2018, 2019–2021)

Major Honours as Player (Selected):

  • FIFA World Cup: 1 (1998)
  • UEFA European Championship: 1 (2000)
  • UEFA Champions League: 1 (2001–02)
  • Serie A (Italian League): 2 (1996–97, 1997–98)
  • La Liga (Spanish League): 1 (2002–03)
  • Intercontinental Cup: 2 (1996, 2002)
  • UEFA Super Cup: 2 (1996, 2002)
  • Ballon d’Or: 1 (1998)
  • FIFA World Player of the Year: 3 (1998, 2000, 2003)
  • FIFA World Cup Golden Ball: 1 (2006)
  • UEFA European Championship Player of the Tournament: 1 (2000)
  • UEFA Champions League Final Man of the Match: 1 (2002)
  • FIFA 100: Pelé’s list of the greatest living players.

Major Honours as Manager (Selected):

  • UEFA Champions League: 3 (2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18)
  • La Liga: 2 (2016–17, 2019–20)
  • FIFA Club World Cup: 2 (2016, 2017)
  • UEFA Super Cup: 2 (2016, 2017)
  • Supercopa de España: 2 (2017, 2019–20)
  • Best FIFA Men’s Coach: 1 (2017)
  • Onze d’Or Coach of the Year: 2 (2017, 2018)

Other:

  • United Nations Goodwill Ambassador (since 2001)
  • Ambassador for Qatar’s successful bid to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Zinedine Zidane Photos: