Zinedine Zidane's career, life, and his age, all this on his autobipgraphy.
Zinedine Zidane biography: read exciting details about his career and personal life! The next victory in Champions League caused a new surge of interest in ‘Real Madrid’ coach, the famed Zizou. We also have some facts from his breathtaking career. It's worth your attention!
Some interesting Facts about Zizou
His date of birth is June 23, 1972. The place of birth is Marseille. His height is 185 cm, and weight is 75 kg. Zinedine Zidane activities are attacking midfielder and coach.
Zinedine Zidane biography
Zizou childhood
The name Zinedine or Yazid translates as "the beauty of faith." He is the 5th and youngest child in his family. His parents are Zidane Smail and Malika. Besides, Zinedine has a sister. Her name is Lila and three brothers Nordin, Farid and Djamel. They are large, friendly and Muslim family. The family immigrated to France in 1953 at the pick of the war in Algeria.
Yazid was a football boy, like his elder brother. But the family had no the opportunity to pay for training. In the boys' room, Zinedine had two pictures with famous football players. They were Djamel Zidane and Enzo Francescoli. Jamel Zidane is a namesake and his countryman. Jamel was a midfielder of the Algerian national team, who defeated the German team at the World Cup in 1982. Enzo Francescoli is a hero of Uruguayan football.
Zidane is a football player
Zinedine participated in various shows to be in sight of the Marseille trainers. Little Marseilles clubs like ‘Saint-Henry’ and ‘Septem-les-Vallon’ were the start of his career. There, the young footballers got a uniform. Then they trained a little and had an opportunity to play plenty of football.
Jean Varro discovered Zidane at the next show and advised him for the ‘Cannes’ club. So he was a part of the club’s youth command. In a year, already living in the hostel of the Mimon Center, he constantly played in youth teams and was engaged in various national teams. Zinedine Zidane studied in a sports school and the club paid for his accommodation and meals.
He played in cadet team of France with Fabrizio Monachino. Zinedine gradually passed all the steps from the juvenile to the French youth team. On May 20 (1989) Zidane as an applicant firstly came to replace in away match versus ‘Nantes.’ The game in the first French league was his first.
A weak head play and his bad manners on the football field were Zidane's main problems at that time. He was a very emotional person.
In 1992, Zidane signed an agreement with ‘Bordeaux.’ In the first season, Zizou scored 10 times. In 1996, at the final part of the European Championships, Zidane was bought by Turin's ‘Juventus’ for 3 million Euros. Zinedine played five years there and was recognized as world’s best footballer tht year.
In the 90's he won:
- two Italian championships in 1997, 1998
- Italian Super Cup in 1997
- European Super Cup in 1996
- Intercontinental Cup in 1996
In August 1994, with the National team of France, he participated in the away friendly match versus Czech Republic national team. Zizou took part in one hundred and six matches and scored twenty-nine times. He participated in three World Championships in 1998, 2002 and 2006 and three European Championships in 1996, 2000 and 2004 firstly as a midfielder, then as a captain of the team.
The most fruitful tournaments are World Cup-1998 and Euro-2000. With the French national team, Zinedine Zidane became the World Champion in 1998, 2nd place in 2006 and European Champion 2000. Besides, he was the Winner of King Hassan II Cup 1998 and 2000. At last, Zidane learned to play with his head masterfully.
The World Cup 1998 turned Zizou into a national hero because of two effective attacks with his head. Zidane got world best player and the ‘Golden Ball’ in 1998. He was in demand and began to appear in commercials.
When he played for the national team of France with the Algerian origin, Zinedine personified the national team of France unity as multinational. After the big defeat of French national team at European Championships, the politics from ‘National Front’ by Le Pen immediately blamed the foreigners. Zinedine responded that the multinational structure of the French national team is the best advocacy against Le Pen's nationalistic prejudices.
In the 9th of July, 2001 Di Stefano who was the honorary president of ‘Real Madrid,’ handed Zinedine Zidane a T-shirt with number 5. The transfer’s amount was a maximum $78 million. His income in ‘Real’ was from 5.6 million to 7.2 million dollars per year. During the first two years, Zizou won:
- Intercontinental Cup
- Spanish Super Cup
- Champions League
- Championship of Spain
- European Super Cup
In 2006, Zinedine with French national team reached the final of the World Championship. At the final game between Italy and France, there was a verbal battle between the adversaries Zidane and Marco Materazzi. It led to a hit in Materazzi chest. Zizou got a red card and was removed from the match. The French team lost on free kicks without its captain and took the second place.
Club career
- In 1987, Zidane made his debut as a member of the French club "Cannes."
- In 1992, he signed a contract with the French "Bordeaux."
- 1994 - 2006 Zinedine Zidane played in the main part of the French national team. He was a team captain.
- In 1996, Zidane was bought by Italian football club Juventus.
- In 2001, he moved to Real Madrid.
‘Real Madrid’ coach
Zidane completed his football activity on World Championship 2006. From June 1, 2009, he was engaged as an assistant to the Real Madrid president Florentino Perez. Since November 12, 2010, he was an advisor of the Club’s President Florentino Perez. In May 2011 Zinedine Zidane became sports director of ‘Real Madrid’ and coach of the children's team.
Zidane became the Head Coach of Real Madrid in January 2016. In this post, Zizou achieved outstanding coaching achievements. In October 2017, at the ceremony of The Best FIFA Football Awards, he was recognized as the Best Coach in the World for the second consecutive victory in the Champions League with Real Madrid. And recently, Zinedine Zidane won Champions League 2017/18.
Just several days after 'Real Madrid' became the champion, Zinedine Zidane announced that he is leaving the honorable position of the team's coach. This news became a great shock for the team and fans all over the world. You can read more about the decision of the famous coach in our post below.
READ ALSO: Zidane leaves Real Madrid
Zinedine Zidane personal life
Zidane met his wife in the ‘Memon’ center. Veronica Fernandez lived there and attended a dance school. Firstly, they appeared in public on the handing of his first red car ‘Renault Clio’ for the winning score. In May 1994, they got married. Zinedine and Veronica have four sons.
French people love and respect Zidane not only for his football achievements. Zizou is a true family man, caring husband, and perfect father. He always set the family and its interests as priority.
His transition to ‘Real Madrid’ is often connected with his wife’s origin. Veronica was not fond of Turin’s climate. Frequently Zinedine denied attending social events to spend spare time with his family. Zidane always said that he planned to have four children.
Zizou and charity
Zinedine loves children and makes many efforts for the improvement of children's sports. At the completion of his sports activity in 2006, he was engaged in charity a lot. Zidane organized and took part in children's soccer matches for charity. Zinedine Zidane sponsored the building of children's branch in Algerian hospital.
In the children's football competition, organized by the French firm ‘Danone,’ he makes matches for children. Zinedine is also a representative of its charity fund. Also, Zizou actively takes part in social rehabilitation of children without homes and parents.
One of the football teams where Zidane started was called ‘Foresta.’ It doesn’t exist now. But his childhood friends made ‘Nouvel Va.’ Now Zizou is the honorary president and active participant in the life of the amateur club ‘La Castellana.’
Since 2001, Zinedine Zidane was the Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Program. He is a Member of the European Association for the Control of Leukodystrophy. His jeep ‘Ford Expedition’ was sold almost for forty thousand Euros through auction specifically for that fond.
In 2006, a documentary film ‘Zidane, Portrait of the 21st Century’ was shown at an out-of- competitive program at the International Cannes Film Festival. In 2008, Zinedine played an episodic role in the film ‘Asterix and Obelix at the Olympics.’
Besides, Zizou is an acting Consultant of the French Canal Sapa + in sports. In 2007, Sapa1 + had a special program ‘Zidane Night.’ An interview with the shyest and taciturn player of the world and the documentary ‘Zidane's Last Match’ had high ratings.
Without a doubt, Zinedine Zidane is a living football legend. As you see from Zidane biography, he perfectly realized himself as a first-class football player and achieved outstanding success as a coach. At the same time, Zizou finds enough time for both family and charity.
READ ALSO: Highest paid coach in the world
Source: Legit.ng