Zinedine Zidane – Like a Dream

Rewind back to July 12, 1998. It was a typical sultry summer evening in Paris, except that it was playing host to the FIFA World Cup final between the hosts France and the perennial favourites, Samba Boys from Brazil. It was a beautiful setting at the 81,000-odd seater Stade de France and with the host nation in the final, the fan interest was unimaginable, across the globe. And so it was, in one of the many Indian homes where a young boy was rooting for Brazil like a fanatic. Well, the young boy was me.

I was just 9 years of age and like a typical Indian kid, football played second fiddle to cricket, always. The beautiful game meant Brazil and Brazil meant Ronaldo. So, I was betting on Brazil with all gung-ho with every other person in the town, displaying my Lee Dixon-esque footballing brain in all its glory. So why not make some chocolates out of it? I bet with my Dad that Brazil will win hands down and that France would be a mere gatecrasher at the Samba party. My Dad, as always, went for the less favoured (he had no choice!) and promised me chocos if Brazil won. Though a mysterious seizure prevented my hero Ronaldo from playing the match, I downplayed this ominous sign having full belief in the quality of the Samba game. So, I slept soundly, proud of my first profitable business deal, well almost.

I was up early the next day, waiting to hear the good news, until I saw my father wearing a grin with the newspaper in hand. I feared the worst and literally snatched the paper from his hand and I was dumbfounded. Not only had France beaten Brazil 3-0, a certain guy by the name of Zinedine Zidane had scored a brace. Well, who names his kid that! I had all daggers drawn the whole day. When my gloom subsided by the next day, I watched the match highlights and had an instant liking for the man. That was the day when Zinedine Zidane was born for me and I was born for football!

So now Football meant Zizou (as he is lovingly called) and I followed him ever since. I have always had a special place in my heart for leaders and the guy was the best in the business. The command he had on the field was mindboggling. Zidane was always dictating the match like child’s play and his skills on the ball left me speechless, to say the least. So the Old Turin Lady reserved a special place in my heart and I always kept a look on for Zizou’s performances. To see him 360 his way around defenders always reminded me of an artist at work, a great one at that. Zizou left many defenders biting the dust with his mesmerising trickery and dribbling. His set-piece ability was unparalleled and his cool-as-a-cucumber attitude in high octane situations made him a hot property and a natural choice for the captain’s armband. So influential was he on the international and the club stage alike, that he is, alongside Brazilian striker Ronaldo; the only three-time FIFA World Player of the Year winner.

Traveling down the memory lane:

Euro 2000:

After the World Cup 1998 came Euro 2000 and Zidane was back on the international stage! And France won again and in the process became only the second country after West Germany to hold the World Cup and European Championships, simultaneously. Zidane finished the tournament with two goals, a memorable free kick against Spain in the quarter final and the golden goal in the semi final against Portugal, and was named player of the tournament by UEFA and achieved cult status in my and many a eyes, through his mind-numbing performances.

FIFA WC 2002:

So the reigning titans of Football, Les Blues arrived in Japan-South Korea as firm favourites to land the title. But as luck may have it, their talisman Zidane picked up a thigh injury, thus preventing him from participating in the initial two matches and Les Blues perished without him, failing to even register on the scoring sheet. They rushed Zizou for the final match, but he could not prevent the title holders from bowing out of the tournament, in the most acrimonious way the tournament had ever seen.

Euro 2004:

Though France performed well below expectations again on the big stage, losing out to the surprise package and the eventual winners Greece in the quarters, Zinedine Zidane again topped the charts with chipping in with the performance of the tournament against England in the knockout stage. Zizou’s stoppage time curler and an even more late penalty brought an agonising end to the Three Lions’ campaign in a typical fashion. After France were eliminated from the tournament, Zidane announced the much dreaded news of his international retirement from football.

Zidane's unbelievable left-footer proved to be the difference against Leverkeusen

UEFA Champions League Final 2001-02:

A transfer fee of 46million pounds still seems staggering and when you consider a time frame of 10 years, the time value of money will clearly indicate that this sum meant a lot more in 2001 than the 80 million Real paid for Ronaldo. When a club goes to such lengths to sign a player, he has to be special. And special he was, who other than Zinedine Zidane! Well, if I may, he was worth every penny.

What better occasion than a Champions League Final to prove your worth to the fans and the management alike, and that too in your inaugural season. As Florentino Perez put it, Zizou scored the greatest-ever goal the tournament final had seen. A lob from Roberto Carlos from the left wing found Zizou in the box and he absolutely buried it, with an unbelievable volley with his weak foot like a ninja administering his final and fatal kick on his opponent. The crowd went berserk and Madrid won it a record 9^th time.

So near, yet so far!

FIFA WC 2006:

Wait, didn’t I mention that Zinedine Zidane had retired from international football? Well yes indeed, but some coaxing from the manager, Raymond Domenech after France were struggling to qualify for the finals at Germany brought him back into the frame as captain. And the magic began as the strugglers became the stranglers and Les Blues every team that came in their path to set up a mouth-watering quarters clash with old foes Brazil. And as the Gods had scripted it, Zinedine Zidane provided an assist to Thierry Henry and was named MOTM by FIFA. France faced Portugal in the semi final and, as in Brussels six years earlier, Zidane’s penalty kick decided the contest and sent France to another major final.

Enter Italy, whose defense had been breached just once in the run up to the final. They were on a roll, with Gianluigi Buffon, their versatile goalkeeper saving virtually anything and everything. But who better than Zizou to beat him just within 7 minutes of the start with an audacious penalty which clipped the underside of the bar and crossed the goal line before bouncing back. Buffon was left rooted to the spot, bamboozled by the genius of the man. Though Italy equalised with Materazzi’s header, it was France who were in the driver’s seat with Zinedine Zidane calling the shots. But as fate may have it, the two goal-scorers got involved in a heated exchange before Zidane was sent off in th 110^th minute for headbutting Materazzi (who had insulted his sister). The walk was long with every France supporter in shambles, as the team looked in disarray. Italy turned out to be the eventual champions after Trezeguet’s penalty shattered the bar with Zidane was awarded the Golden Ball as the best player of the competition.

It was a sad day for every France supporter and Zizou fan as it was not a perfect sent-off for the greatest-ever midfielder to have graced the game. I had tears in my eyes as would have many fans across the world as we felt that France and Zidane were robbed of a World Cup by a cheapster named Materazzi.

Though the end of Zizou’s illustrious career was not as one would have liked, but Zidane will remain one of the greatest players to have ever graced the game, alongside Pele and Maradona. His leadership was sorely missed when France were nothing more than a laughing stock at the FIFA WC 2010. Zinedine Zidane will always be missed by the beautiful game and his skills will remain entrenched in our hearts, forever.

Currently, Zidane works as a special adviser to Real Madrid’s first team. In his new role, Zidane is expected to participate in Champions League events and functions. He is also to travel with the first team on a regular basis and participate in pre-match gatherings, training sessions and meetings with the head coach.