#3 Zinedine Zidane is his footballing idol
For a boy who played football and grew up in France, it is no surprise that he idolised the French magician Zinedine Zidane. The former Real Madrid midfielder who was renowned for his elegance, ball-control and vision is widely regarded as one of the best to have played the beautiful game.
Bayern Munich midfielder Xabi Alonso said of him, "What he could do with a football is a dream for most of us."
Zidane was instrumental in helping France win the FIFA World Cup in 1998, scoring twice in the final. His left-footed volley in the 2002 UEFA Champions League Final is one of the best goals to be scored in the competition. Mkhitaryan, who grew up watching Zidane in his prime, came to idolise him after initially liking another Real Madrid great, Raul.
Mkhitaryan said of the midfield maestro before the Champions League quarter-final in 2014 against Real Madrid: “I first saw Madrid with Raul and he was the best. But then I saw Zidane…he was a great playmaker,
“It’s totally true he was my idol as a child. I loved how he played and he was a great inspiration to me.
“But I never tried to copy or imitate his style. I’m happy being myself.”
