ICON: ZINEDINE ZIDANE
Two Serie A titles, one La Liga championship. One Champions League and two Spanish Super Cups. One World Cup and one European Championship. Even this fine collection of winner’s medals cannot do justice to the icon that is Zinedine Zidane.
World player of the year in 1998, 2000 and 2003, Ballon D’or winner in 1998, the genius of Zidane means he is the only footballer of our generation who can be held in the same regard as the royalty of the modern game – Pele, Maradonna and Cryff.
A number 10 in the purest sense, Zidane would show his class in his swansong, the 2006 World Cup.
The headbutt on Matterazi aside, the ageing, and compared to previous generations, poor French team were propelled almost single handedly towards the final by Zidane’s ability. Games against Spain and Brazil in particular almost turned into a highlight reel for the man from Marseille all by themselves. Pirouettes, step overs, flicks and feints, Zidane seemed to be showcasing his locker of tricks against the best players in the world all over again.
The 2002 champions league final at Hamden park was where Zidane produced his crowning moment – his greatest piece of individual work. The best player in the world, on the biggest stage, scoring a quite simply spectacular goal.
Roberto Carlos gets down the Leverkusen right and loops the ball over to the edge of the area. Zidane, waiting on the edge, watches the ball like a hawk stalking its prey. The ball seems be in the air for what seems like an eternity.
The man swivels his body on his right foot, and, with his weaker left, sends a crashing volley into the top corner of the net – past the despairing dive of keeper Hans-Jorg Butt. It was a moment of remarkable beauty and elegance in the biggest game in club football.
Born to Algerian parents, Zizou, along with other members of the winning 1998 world cup team such as Marcel Desailly, Patrick Veira and llian Thuram, also come to symbolize France as a multinational country – a country which would look upon as those who emigrated their former colonies with fondness and acceptance – not suspicion and fear.
Tecnically outstanding, the effortless nature of his football appeared to make him almost like a dancer – gliding and swivelling past stretched midfields and the desperate lunges of defenders.
This side of his game though is not to say Zidane couldn’t handle it in the heat of the midfield battle. He was sent off 12 times in his career, including in the 1998 world cup group stages against Saudi Arabia. This would not be his only impact on the tournament with his two goals in the final setting up the steam rolling of an out of sorts Brazil side. And of course there is the Matterazi headbutting, which somewhat left a sour taste in the mouth, after he became only the fourth player to score in two different world cup finals.
Since his retirement in 2006, Zidane has been appointed as advisor to Real Madrid President Florentino Perez and no doubt teaching his four sons (one of which Enzo, who is named after Zizou’s favourite ever player, Uruguayan number 10, Enzo Francescoli) the ways to play football properly.
He is the only footballer I know of to have a unique documentary made about him. Zidane: a 21 st century portrait is not your typical warts and all DVD. Using 18 high definition cameras and set to a soundtrack by Scottish art band, Mogwai, the player was recorded for an entire 90 minutes against Villareal. I implore you to watch a master at work.
I will leave the final tribute to the majesty of Zinedine Zidane with a few words taken from the excellent book, The Perfect 10 by Richard Williams.
“Sublime artistry without wasted motion was what made him the perfect player for Real Madrid, an authentic heir to Puskas and Di Stefano, a man whose silhouette became his signature and whose goals carried the mark of the auteur.”
Check out the other contenders here;
Will Gilgrass on David Beckham
Tom Victor on Michael Schumacher
No question that he is one of the greatest footballers of our time. I’m not sure he compares to Pele and Maradonna but he is certainly up there. One thing I will say though is he as a footballer is part of a team. I’m not going to pretend that I know all about football cause I don’t but the France team was about more than one player. Surely it is a case of him being part of an iconic team? A sporting icon for me in a team sport is someone who revolutionizes their sport take Shane Warne of Jonah Lomu for example. Or some one who dominates in an individual sport. Roger Federer, Floyd Mayweather, Tiger Woods, Usain Bolt
I see what you are saying, and I would say that Woods, Mayweather and Federer are all good examples. But the fact that Zidane stood out in a team sport, makes him a more potent icon. That he was able to have such an impact in a team sport and express himself in such an individual manner makes him unique.
You don’t see Bolt as a good example? Someone who has achieved everything in two years and is set to dominate for the next 5-10? Zidane stood out on occaisons, but who was it that stood out for France in 98?
I don’t doubt his talent, but as I said before although Zidane was a fantastic footballer he did not revolutionize his sport
That is exaclty my point – someone who is set to dominate for the next 5 years, he has acutally done it yet. If he does then of course he will be one of the best. It is difficult for footballers to revolutionize their sport – only arguably Cruyff and Puskas have had that sort of impact. Most revolution comes from managers- change of tactics. So you get the inversion of the pyramid – Herbert Chapman having two banks of four, or Sacchi employing a more defensive, pressing game, or even the use of 4-4-3 of the 1970′s by the dutch!