Zinedine Zidane Zizou- The Great | Zinedine's Biography

Passionate, inspirational, exhilarating, heroic and entertaining. These are all words that have been used to describe the former World Footballer of the Year who is arguably the best player ever to come out of France. His brilliant ball control, incredible vision, precise passing and ability to read the game are never likely to be matched. On the field, he was a general. Leading his side by example through a perfect cross or a sizzling strike, he was never far away from the action. Off the pitch, he has been just as impressive. Tireless in his charity work for those less fortunate, he is also a devoted family man. He is Zinedine Zidane and this is his story. Zinedine Zidane, or Zizou as he's affectionately known to fans around the world, enjoyed the kind of epic career that even the best Hollywood scriptwriter would have been pushed to dream up. It bore all the hallmarks of a big screen blockbuster. The tough start, the battle through adversity, the euphoric World Cup victory, the devastating losses that followed and the remarkable comeback with a fairy tale finish. Well, almost. Zidane's incredible journey began in Le Castellan, one of the poorest immigrant quarters of the French city Marseille. Born to Algerian parents, young Zidane was a natural. Honing his skills in the dimly lit alleyways for hours each day, it soon became clear that he was destined for something special. Many believed that it was Zidane's upbringing in this rough neighbourhood that furnished him with the mental toughness to handle the pressures faced by elite footballers. At an early age, he joined US Saint-Henri, a local club in Le Castellan. But it wasn't until he was scouted to Bordeaux that his talent really started to show itself. During his four-year stint at Bordeaux, Zidane was selected and received his first cap for Les Bleus, the French national team. Coming on as a substitute in the 63rd minute of a friendly against the Czech Republic on 17th August 1994, Zidane thrilled the crowd by scoring two second-half goals to help France erase a 2-0 deficit and salvage a tie. His performances domestically and internationally started to generate a lot of conversation around the proverbial water cooler, impressing his countrymen, players, managers and scouts all over the globe with his playmaking and uncanny ability to lift his game when required. It wouldn't be long before the big clubs of Europe came after him. In the end, it was Champions League winners and Italian super club Juventus who snatched up the 24-year-old for a mere £3 million. Zidane had already made an impressive start to his football career. Playing solid football for Les Bleus and going on to sign with Italy's most successful football club, one could forgive a young player for feeling pretty satisfied with the shape his career was taking. These achievements, however, were just the beginning of Zizou's remarkable journey. Juventus immediately recognised the attacking midfielder's potential. With the help of Zidane's contribution, Juventus won the 1996-97 Scudetto and the Intercontinental Cup with a 1-0 win over River Plate. In the following seasons, Zidane led Juventus to the 1997 and 1998 UEFA Champions League final. In three short years, he went from being a good player with potential to being one of the best players in the world. Now that he had proved his remarkable talent in domestic leagues, especially with Juventus, it was time to prove his ability against the best opposition the world had to offer. That chance presented itself in the shape of the 1998 FIFA World Cup. That year, the World Cup competition was being hosted by France for the first time in 60 years, and despite placing their faith in their beloved Les Bleus, the home fans' hopes of World Cup success seemed little more than pipe dreams. European powerhouse Germany were favourites to win the Cup, with defending champions Brazil running a close second. Despite its status as the host nation, France wasn't even seeded in the top ten, and bookmakers predicted they would finish an unlucky 13th. Les Bleus were extremely lucky to find themselves in Group C. With two less experienced teams, South Africa and Saudi Arabia in the group, their only real competition looked to be Denmark. This gave not only France but also Zidane the perfect opportunity to ease into the competition. However, no one could have predicted the final outcome. France dominated Group C, finishing on top of their group undefeated after scoring nine goals and conceding just the one. Leading Les Bleus in through the midfield, Zidane needed little encouragement to show off his prodigious talent. After a two-game suspension, he returned to face Italy in the quarter-final, and at a crucial stage in the match, manager Aime Jacquet allegedly took him aside for a pep talk that roughly translated, as Zizou, the French team is not you, and you don't represent the French team. Think hard about those words, he warned, before adding, but it's you who can make us win. And win they did. His mesmerising movements helped set up wins over Italy in the quarters and then Croatia in the semi-finals. By then, the buzz surrounding Zidane had become a deafening roar, and Zizou was on the verge of becoming a national hero. With the scene set for a tense, colossal final between the reigning champions Brazil and hometown favourites France, the whole world tuned in, expecting the Brazilians to emerge as victors. Once again, Zidane had other ideas. Scoring two remarkable goals in the first half to set up a 3-0 whitewash over the much fancied Brazilians, Zidane had almost single-handedly won his country its first ever World Cup. Not only had he become a national hero, the whole world was chanting his name and ranking him amongst the international greats of his era. In the lead-up to the clash, it was the Brazilian player Ronaldo who had been tipped to become the star of the final. However, despite enjoying a remarkable tournament and winning the golden ball for best player, Ronaldo struggled in the big game. Holding aloft the World Cup trophy was the highlight of an incredible year for Zinedine Zidane. 1998 also saw Juventus finishing on top of Serie A. In the UEFA Champions League, they finished a very respectable second to the all-conquering Real Madrid. Not surprisingly, Zidane ended the year with a cabinet full of trophies and awards. As well as being named FIFA World Player of the Year, he took out the European Footballer of the Year title. He also made it on to the FIFA All-Star team for his performances in a World Cup, despite having missed two games due to suspension. With fans chanting his name, women chasing him down the street and children trying to emulate his slick ball skills on football pitches all over the world, Zidane could have sat back and enjoyed the fruits of his success. Many footballers would have been content in the knowledge that their brilliance had almost single-handedly carried their team and country to World Cup glory. Not Zinedine Zidane. Winning the World Cup had nearly taken the edge off his hunger. While commentators were celebrating his brilliance, he still had a lot to prove to his harshest critic himself. The euphoria of the World Cup had barely worn off before he was preparing his next opportunity to show the world how good he really was. The 11th UEFA European Football Championship, or Euro 2000 as it's more commonly known, was co-hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands. Netherlands were favourite for the event and for good reason. Playing in their home country in career best form, it would take an excellent team to beat them. Although they hadn't won a major tournament for over a decade, their fans were more than confident about their team's current good form and began celebrating a little prematurely. Since their World Cup victory two years before, both France and Zidane had continued to impress and they qualified for the finals of Euro 2000 with ease. The Dutch were favourites for the tournament, but the giant-killing Les Bleus weren't too far away in the minds of fans and their competitors. Grouped in a similar format to the World Cup finals, France found themselves in Group D where they faced solid competition, including the Netherlands. France lost against the home side in their final group match, however they still made it through to the quarter-finals. Zidane was fit and on top form and fans, teammates and coaches alike would have been happy to see their star player play up to his usual standard. However, Zidane wasn't about to rest on his laurels. Obsessed with improving, he trained tirelessly to hone his craft. At the time, Zizou's closest competition in the world's best player ratings was Ronaldo. In fact, the Brazilian's phenomenal goal-scoring ability often gave him the edge. However, Ronaldo had been out of action for some time after acquiring knee surgery on a ruptured tendon. This left Zizou as the world's undisputed top player. Media, fans and opposing players wanted to learn more about the humble French midfielder and with all the attention came greater pressure. After a steady start to Euro 2000, Zidane, as he so often did, picked up the tempo for the quarter and semi-finals. In France's clash against Spain, Zidane scored his first goal for the tournament and then scored his second from a penalty late in extra time against a much improved Portugal to catapult France to yet another final. Despite scoring two crucial goals at critical stages of the tournament, some commentators and football journalists would persist in criticising him for the lack of goals to his name. Not only did they argue that a player of his calibre should be finding the back of the net more regularly, they also blamed him for Juventus's failure to win the championship. In his defence, however, many observers argued that Zidane's extraordinary talent lay in setting up goals for others, not scoring his own. In Euro 2000, he made more devastating slalom dribbles than Marc Overmars and more decisive crosses than Portugal's Luis Figo. His presence in the midfield not only generated chances from his own boots, but inspired those around him to follow his lead. France continued their impressive run, demonstrating a style of football so pleasing to the eye that even opposing fans could enjoy them. Having made it through to the final of Euro 2000, they prepared to meet Italy. With a more defensive game style than the French, the Italians would score often on the counter-attack. Throughout the whole tournament, the Italians had conceded only two goals, and if France were to break through their wall of resistance, it would be Zidane who would find their weak spot. Playing alongside many of the Italian national team members on a weekly basis at Juventus, Zidane, who had just turned 28, knew a lot more about the Italians' game style than most. It was the Italians he had to thank for his elite physical fitness and his calm and systematic approach to the big games. The clash against Italy to crown Europe's best in the final of Euro 2000 was not only a battle between two brilliant teams, it was a duel between pupil and master. The final, which billed as the best climax to the best international tournament the world had seen, did not disappoint. After trailing 1-0 for almost 40 minutes and with only one minute of injury time remaining, France scored an opportunist goal via Will Tort. The Italian fans, who had already popped the champagne, were forced to put their party on hold. Then, with 12 minutes gone in extra time, David Trezeguet scored one of the goals of the tournament to crown France as European champions. Once again, Zidane played a significant role in their victory. When the pressure needed to be increased after Italy scored in the 55th minute, it was Zidane who led the way. Zizou was once again the toast of the nation. His tournament equalled, if not bettered, his performance in the 1998 World Cup and the organisers of Euro 2000 agreed in naming him the player of the tournament. His manager, Roger Lemaire, could not have been happier with Zidane's form. But Lemaire was quick to point out that Zidane could still improve. During the tournament, he had said, there is so much more to come from Zidane. He can improve still further. He's phenomenal on his way to becoming a monument of French football, like Platini or Coppa. It wasn't only Lemaire who believed Zidane was destined for greatness. His talents were igniting the interest of the world's biggest clubs and with his best years ahead of him, they would pay anything to see him in their colours. Florentino Perez, the Spanish businessman and ex-politician who went on to become president of Real Madrid, had a dream. He didn't dream of arranging global peace or of ending third world poverty. He dreamt of creating the best football team on the planet. Luckily for Perez, he had the means to make that dream come true. Thanks to him, Real Madrid was the richest soccer club in the world. In the summer of 2000, Perez used his impressive wealth to purchase one of the best playmakers around, Luis Figo. Figo was a Portuguese hero. His dazzling crosses equaled those of Zidane and although his ball movements weren't quite as spectacular, Figo was undoubtedly one of the best players in the world. Not only was he a hero in his home country, he also was a much-loved player at FC Barcelona. The fierce rivalry between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona is legendary within the sport. So when Perez set his sights on signing the superstar, he had to make an offer that Barcelona could not refuse. Barca was offered a record-breaking £38.7 million to let go of Figo. Laughing all the way to the bank, Barcelona accepted the offer and Figo packed his bags for Real Madrid. Not surprisingly, the transfer did little to impress his former teammates, much less the passionate Barca fans. In fact, upon his return to FC Barcelona's home ground, Camp Nou, a study by a television station found that the noise of the crowd's whistles and jeers was louder than the sound of an aeroplane taking off. On his second appearance wearing Real Madrid colours at Camp Nou, Barcelona's ground almost had to be closed. All kinds of objects, including a pig's head, were thrown at Figo, who was also taunted with insults, such as pesetero, which means money whore. This did not deter the talented right-winger, who went on to win the European Player of the Year in 2000 and then FIFA World Player of the Year in 2001. After reaping such rewards with his first expensive purchase, Florentino Perez decided it was time to go shopping again. This time, he was determined to come home with Zinedine Zidane. His form from Euro 2000 caught the attention of the Real Madrid president and like a spoilt rich kid, what Perez wanted, Perez got, no matter what the cost. Juventus weren't willing to let Zidane go, and who could blame them? They had nurtured, moulded and developed Zidane into the world-beating player he had become. Owning the best player in the world was a privilege the Italian super club had earned, and now they're enjoying the benefits. Initially, the deal didn't seem likely to happen. Although Zidane was keen to move to Spain and test his skills in arguably the best league in the world, Juventus general manager Luciano Moggi insisted that Zidane had to stay until his contract had expired in 2005. However, with the exception of Zidane, the current Juventus squad was starting to get a little stale. The 25-time league champions had finished second in consecutive years and management started to concede that transferring Zidane for a huge fee would give them the opportunity to buy new talent that could pave the way for a 26th league title. After many hours of negotiation, Perez finally got his way, and Zidane was moving to Spain. This purchase didn't come cheap, and it would be fair to say that it would have left a hefty hole in any wallet, even one the size of Real Madrid's. Zidane's move broke all transfer records. The final figure easily exceeded the previous record set by Luis Figo, coming in at £44 million. Perez's plan was to put together the best team money could buy. He believed that this would keep him popular with the Real Madrid fans and ensure that he held on to his presidency. Every year after, his mission to achieve global football domination saw Real Madrid buying up the best players the world has to offer. During the first quarter of his handsome four-year contract with Real, Zidane did not disappoint his new club. In his 49 appearances for Real Madrid, he scored a total of 11 goals and set up countless others. Those 11 goals marked his best return since winning his first World Player of the Year award in 1998. He also played a major role in winning Real Madrid an impressive two titles for the season. While he made a significant contribution to Real's victory in the Spanish Super Cup, he totally outdid himself in Real's successful UEFA Champions League campaign. Not only did he star throughout the whole tournament, where his efforts earned him a start in the UEFA Best XI, more importantly, he was named the UEFA Champions League Most Valuable Player. Once again, Zidane was able to lift his own game when it mattered. In the final, he put on a demonstration that showed the world why Perez had been so keen to have him dressed in the all-white strip, and it proved to Perez that Zidane had been worth every penny of the £44m transfer fee. Clearly head and shoulders above the other players on the field, Zidane won the final for Real Madrid after he received a high, arching cross from Roberto Carlos at the edge of the penalty area and volleyed a left-foot shot that streaked into the top corner. After that, Real Madrid held its ground against a very offensive Bayer Leverkusen until the final whistle from referee Ersmeyer. They finished up winning the UEFA Final 2-1. Deservedly, Zidane was named Man of the Match. Looking back on his career, it seems incredible how often Zidane was able to score when it mattered most in the big games on the international stage. His nerves of steel allowed him to thrive in the tensest of situations and win the game for his side on countless occasions. In the wake of the huge success of his two previous signings, Perez was ready to add yet another superstar to his already impressive team. In 2002, Ronaldo was brought in to support Zidane and boost the all-white scoring power. As with all of Real's recent purchases, Ronaldo's signing was surrounded by controversy. However, unlike Zidane and Figo, this time the Furore had nothing to do with the size of the transfer fee used to obtain the former World Player of the Year. The question raised over Ronaldo's transfer, surprisingly, related to his ability to kick a ball. Of course, there was no argument that Ronaldo was a wonderful player, but there were plenty of doubts about his future. When he was bought by Perez and transferred to Real Madrid, he had still not fully recovered from the knee injury that had halted his career in April 2000. The fact that Ronaldo had been out of the game for 20 months raised questions about whether he would ever be able to get back to the brilliant form he had enjoyed before his terrible injury. Bought for only £26 million, any questions that critics had over his return to football were quickly silenced. With help from his new team-mate and the world's best playmaker, Ronaldo went on to score an impressive 29 goals from 42 appearances for his new club. He then went on to win the 2002 European Player of the Year, as well as the 2002 World Player of the Year award. These huge signings gave the team of champions the nickname the Galacticos, which basically means superstar in Spanish. With Figo and now Ronaldo by his side, Zidane enjoyed more success with the Spanish superclub. However, it didn't all go his way on the international front. 2002 marked a disappointing World Cup campaign for the defending champions, which wasn't helped by the fact that Zidane had to miss most of the tournament. In the end, he was only able to play one match, and even then he was not fully fit. His niggling thigh injury may have robbed him of the opportunity to defend his World Cup crown, but Zidane wasn't about to let his disappointment interfere with his football back in Spain. During the 2002-03 season, Zidane won his first La Liga title with the club. Although he was still nursing a few injury troubles, his form didn't slip. In fact, he was playing some of the best football of his career towards the end of the 2002-03 season. The Galacticos continued to sign big-name players, and in 2003 it was David Beckham's turn to move where the weather was warmer. Becks was picked up for a lazy £25 million. Despite his obvious talent, Beckham wasn't in the same league as his teammates Zidane, Ronaldo or Figo. Many believe that Beckham was signed purely as a business decision. He was allegedly brought into the club for the number of shirts he could sell, rather than the number of goals he was likely to kick. With two of the world's best midfielders already playing for Real, Beckham's signing was completely unnecessary from a team balance perspective. Zidane, as positive as ever, refusing to let the media circus around Beckham's signing interfere with his team's mentality, reminded everyone that one player doesn't make a team. He had this to say. It is good. It is good that he has his own style. But anyway, everybody knows the game Beckham plays. It's a style that is interesting for the team. We will see how it goes. But the most important thing is not a particular player, but the team. What makes the strength of a team is the team. He will bring his own know-how, like each one of us does, and we hope his arrival will bring us even more titles. However, what the Galacticos desperately needed was a defensive talent. A superstar defender the likes of Fabio Cannavaro, the 2006 FIFA World Player of the Year, would have made a big difference to their struggling defence. Perhaps Perez was merely trying to make back some of the money he had spent on the likes of Figo and Zidane. The early successes of his big signings, and even Real's dazzling line-up of superstars, were beginning to fade in the eyes of the fans. The one light that continued to shine brightly was Zidane. In 2003, he took out the World FIFA Player of the Year for a third time, to become only the second player to do so. His team-mate Ronaldo was the first. 2003 also saw the departure of one of Real Madrid's best defensive players, Claude McAlealy, as the club refused to increase his salary, despite the fact he was paid a fraction of what was being handed out to his superstar team-mates. McAlealy was regarded as one of the best defenders in the world. His place in the team was taken up by David Beckham, an attacking midfielder. Zidane, who admired fellow countryman McAlealy, spoke openly about his shock departure. Yes, for what he has done over here. He was a very important player. We missed a lot by losing McAlealy. This was a decision made by the club, but maybe not in the best interest of the players. It's easy to see why things started to go wrong for Real Madrid. Perez's team had turned out to be the best attacking line-up in the world, but unfortunately they could only go forward. Opposing teams quickly exploited their weakness, and in no time at all, the once powerful Galacticos were no more than overpaid underachievers. They weren't able to take out the big matches, and even had to endure a bleak three-year period where they couldn't bring home one major trophy. The critics had a field day. Despite being clearly against the ropes, they shocked the soccer world once again by ignoring the hole in the team's defence and picking up yet another striker. Michael Owens, who turned out to be the last of Real Madrid's big buys, was snapped up for £8m from Liverpool in 2004. Clearly taking the saying the best form of defence is attack way too seriously, Real Madrid were either blind or blinded by greed. Since Beckham's signing, Real had found little success on the pitch, and in May 2004, coach Carlos Cueros was shown the door. Despite having little influence in the team's choice of signings, Cueros became the second manager to lose his job during the reign of Perez. Initially, it was Vincente Del Bosque who was sacked to make way for Cueros. Del Bosque had been a very popular coach, and was at the helm at the height of the Galacticos' success. It was widely speculated that Del Bosque was eventually sacked for sticking up for the lesser names at Real Madrid, and for going against the president's master plan. It is also rumoured that Del Bosque, like many of Real's fans, opposed the signing of David Beckham, for all the obvious reasons. He allegedly washed his hands of the whole affair. Whether or not the rumours are true, Del Bosque was gone from the club before Beckham arrived. Since his forced departure, high tensions have led to the sacking of four managers and four football directors. But none of these moves changed Real's fortunes on the pitch. Zidane continued to do what he could for the embattled club. Although he was now in the twilight of his career, the 30-year-old continued to give 110% in every match, although 2004-05 was a very lean season by his standards. With all the commotion in the boardroom, it was no wonder he struggled. For a footballer who played for the love and fun of the game, he would have found it extremely difficult to enjoy himself with football politics ruining his club. Despite being surrounded by such negativity, 2004 had at least one positive professional moment for Zidane, and it was a major one. In fact, it may very well have made his year, if not his career. In April, Zidane won the Golden Jubilee Pole and was named the best European player for the past 50 years. This pole received over 7 million votes when Zinedine Zidane just scraped in ahead of German legend Franz Beckenbauer by just over 1,000 votes. In third place was Johan Cruyff. Coming towards the end of his playing life, this acknowledgement of his incredible achievements and magnificent career placed him above the legends of the game that he would have idolised during his childhood in the streets of Le Castellan. It was a testament to his remarkable talent and dedication. After another quiet season with Real Madrid the following year, Zidane announced his retirement in April 2006. I took the decision to retire after thinking about it for a long time and also to allow Real Madrid to plan their next season, giving them enough time to look for other alternatives, other players, if that's what they want to do. On May 7, 2006, he played his final home game, scoring in a 3-all draw with Villarreal. His teammates wore commemorative jerseys with Zidane 2001-2006 stitched below the club logo. The Galacticos were no more, and Zidane had one more journey to make in his legendary football odyssey, the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The World Cup. A contest in which legends are born, heroes are made and only the very best survive. With the experience of two World Cups behind him, Zidane already knew what it takes to win. The 2006 World Cup was his stage, his opportunity to thank his fans, coaches and teammates for all their support throughout his career. In 2002, Zidane had been struggling to get 100% fit in time for the tournament. He had a thigh injury which prevented him from playing in France's opening group matches. Without Zidane to steer them, France looked lost. The defending champions looked nothing like the side they had been four years before, or even two years earlier at Euro 2000. France had to win their final group match to stay alive. Zidane was to play despite being injured. Team captain Marcel Desailly hoped that Zidane's presence alone would make the difference. And for sure if he's there, then it's something more. Maybe it would not be the player who would make the difference, but the fact that he's playing, then maybe Danish will concentrate, they will put two players on him and maybe we will have other opportunities to score. That's the difference with Zidane, when he's there and when he's not there. France lost 2-0 and were embarrassingly eliminated from the World Cup without scoring a goal. The formerly powerful national team went into Euro 2004 as defending champions. Zidane was fit, however they were unable to get past an impressive Greece in the quarter-finals. This broke Zidane's heart and he retired from international football. However, after seeing France struggle to qualify for the 2006 World Cup, the midfielder who claims to love his country just as much as he loves football was swayed by manager Raymond Dominic. On 3rd August 2005 he announced that he was coming out of retirement. He was immediately reinstated as team captain and under his guidance France qualified for the 2006 World Cup showing glimpses of their former championship winning form. With memories of his 2002 disappointment fading fast, Zidane knew that this was his World Cup. The French team was stronger than last time and he was at the top of his game. Zidane and Les Bleus were on a mission to recapture their 1998 form. We are all ready for a great competition. We have to tell ourselves that if we want to succeed and achieve something exceptional, we all have to push ourselves. That's it. France opened their account with a dismal performance that drew comparisons with their previous World Cup campaign. They were lucky to salvage a 0-0 draw against Switzerland in their first game. Clearly Zidane wasn't satisfied with that result. Desperate to succeed in the closing minutes of France's second match of the group stage against South Korea, Zidane was yellow-carded after pushing an opposing defender. It was his second booking of the tournament and resulted in his suspension from the final match of the group stage. Memories of a Zidane-less France came flowing back and ready to win their last group game to guarantee selection, Zidane's playing future lay at the feet of his teammates. France advanced to the knockout round after beating Togo 2-0. Zidane returned to action in the second-round match against Spain, setting up Patrick Vieira for a goal by sending a free kick into the penalty area. He scored himself in the 91st minute. The victory sent France into the quarter-final against defending champions Brazil in the rematch of the 1998 final. France held the more fancy Brazil to just one shot on goal for the entire match. Zidane, creative as ever, took a free kick which led to a goal by Thierry Henry, sealing a 1-0 win. In the semi-final against Portugal four days later, Zidane netted a penalty for the only goal of the match, which saw France through to the final against Italy on July 9th, in what would be his career finale. The fairytale ending was his for the writing. Zidane looked destined to end his celebrated career by winning his second World Cup. With Brazil already out of the competition, his team went into the 2006 World Cup final as favourites to beat Italy. It was a final that would come to be remembered for many different reasons. The game got off to a frantic start with both teams scoring in the first 20 minutes. Zidane scored for France, becoming only the fourth player in World Cup history to score in two different finals. The match then turned into a defensive arm-wrestle, testing the mental strength of both sides. Late in extra time, with the scores still tied at one apiece, Zidane was in the thick of the action and with a piece of sheer brilliance that only Zizou can manufacture, he drilled a scorching strike. Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon anticipated the shot to perfection and saved the definite goal with his fingertips. That touch of brilliance was the last the fans would ever see from Zidane, as in the 110th minute, the intense pressure got the better of him. In what can only be described as a mental meltdown, Zidane suddenly stopped, turned and rammed his head into Materazzi's chest, knocking him to the ground. Zidane received a red card. His football career was over. This saw the midfielder miss the match-deciding penalty shootout, which France lost 3-5. All hopes of a fairytale finish for Zidane had gone up in a puff of smoke. With emotions running high at such a critical moment in Zidane's career, Materazzi had seized the opportunity to press the Frenchman's buttons and throw him off course. His tactics worked. After reviewing video evidence that suggested Materazzi had verbally provoked Zidane, the world-famous British press wasted no time in hiring lip-readers to discover what had caused Zidane to lose his cool. English newspaper The Times believed that Materazzi called Zidane the son of a terrorist whore. However, it wasn't until two months after the event that some real light was shed on the incident. Materazzi, who has refused to publicly apologise to Zidane, offered his version of events. After grabbing Zidane's jersey, he claimed that Zidane had sarcastically offered it to him. Materazzi responded by telling the Frenchman he'd rather take his sister. Materazzi later stated in an interview that his precise words were I prefer the whore that is your sister. Lumped around the world and clearly remorseful for his actions, Zidane had a lot of support throughout the whole ordeal. I think Zidane was right to head-butt Materazzi, because he probably said awful words and I would have done the same. I would have hit him on the nose or on the teeth. The teeth are costing a lot of money. Then French President Jacques Chirac, who was also a huge admirer of Zidane, hailed him as a national hero and called him a man of conviction. Zinedine Zidane, I want to express all the nation's admiration, fondness and respect as well. Despite these very difficult moments of your career, you are a brilliant soccer player, genius of the football, you are a passionate man, a man of conviction. And that is why France admires you and loves you. He later added that although the offence remained unacceptable, he understood that Zidane had been provoked. Zidane quickly apologised for his actions to the children who had been watching the game around the world. However, he refused to apologise to Materazzi himself, claiming he didn't want to show that it was alright to verbally abuse someone. Luckily for Zidane, his apology not only won the hearts of many fans, it also soothed his sponsors who remained by his side throughout the ordeal. While many fans and commentators saw Zidane's controversial exit from the game as a tragic end to a brilliant career, some gave it a more positive spin. What really amazed me is that France had been so shocked by the Zizou event, and especially that it had been such a drama. We thought that it wasn't that dramatic. On the contrary, it's a rather great exit. So we needed to put the event back in its context. It's not that serious. Unfortunately, FIFA didn't see it from Frank's point of view, and were quick to launch an investigation into an event that still leaves some questions unanswered. In response to its inquiry, FIFA issued the following penalties. Zinedine Zidane has been suspended for three matches and fined with 7,500 Swiss francs. However, that's the big important information, the committee has taken note that Zinedine Zidane has ended his international career and has taken note of Zinedine Zidane's gesture to do three days of community service within the FIFA humanitarian activities. Such a gesture was nothing unusual for the former footballer, who despite his on-field altercations had often been touted as the game's perfect role model. Zidane's commitment to giving back has always been exemplary, and now that he has retired, he spends a good deal of his time putting his name to good use by helping those less fortunate than him all over the world. With a brilliant footballing career already in the bag, Zidane can now relax away from the public eye and spend some much-needed time with his family. After 17 years at the top of a game dominated by the bounce of a ball, he no longer has to worry about making it to training on time, catching flights or remaining in peak condition. However, adapting to life after football hasn't been a breeze. For the moment, my life is both simple and complicated at the same time, because until now I had the pretext of playing football, so my life was well managed. Today I have stopped and I want to do something else, and at the same time it's complicated because I am not organised at all, so obviously I will first have to get organised. But today it's simple, it's about enjoying the moments I didn't have time to enjoy in the past, things about life, enjoy my family, to get more time off with the kids, to move when I want to, to try and have some free time when I feel like it. That's it. It is simple, like trying to do things the easiest way possible. Many people might expect the simple life of a retired footballer to involve cruising around the Caribbean, sipping cocktails or playing never-ending rounds of golf. But Zidane has different ideas. His tough start in life made him determined to give back, and just months after his retirement in 2006, he was on the plane to Thailand to play in a charity match for a children's AIDS charity. Frenzied supporters poured into Chiang Mai's Municipal Stadium to see the three-time FIFA World Footballer of the Year take to the field alongside Thai pop stars and national team players. Four hours before kick-off, football-mad Thailanders lined the streets outside the stadium to catch a glimpse of the former Juventus and Real Madrid midfielder, while thousands more fanned themselves with newspapers and huddled under umbrellas to shelter from the unforgiving mid-afternoon sun. Despite his absence from professional football, Zidane hadn't lost any of his trademark moves, scoring just before half-time. Less than a month later, he was playing in another charity match. This time it was back home in France at Marseille's Stade Vélodrome. The match against poverty, played under the aegis of the United Nations Development Programme, was won 6-2 by Zidane and Frenz against Ronaldo and Frenz. This was his first football appearance in Europe since the World Cup, and as his dazzling skills brought back some wonderful memories, journalists speculated on the chances of Zidane making another comeback. The most popular theory was that Zidane would join former Real Madrid teammate David Beckham at the LA Galaxy and play out his post-retirement years on Easy Street in Major League Soccer. Zidane was quick to quell the rumours, although he did admit he missed the action. Obviously, yes, sometimes I miss it already. Because when you have played 17 years at a high level, at some point there is this craving from the lack of adrenaline, pressure and sport, naturally. But I had to come to that point. Today, it's my turn, after many other players, to retire, and what you need is to live it well. So for me, I tell myself it's another life starting today, and I will try to enjoy it as I have enjoyed my footballer's life. More recently, Zidane took his charity campaign to Cairo in Egypt. There, he spent three days, where he attended the opening of a home for street children and played in a charity soccer match with Egyptian youngsters. The trip was sponsored by the French food manufacturing company Danone, in cooperation with Egypt's National Council for Childhood and Motherhood as part of an international project to help disadvantaged children. The head of Danone spoke of Zidane's determination to lend his celebrity status to good causes. Because Zidane is a very famous person, he is genuinely caring about kids. He is 100% convinced that he has to use his huge awareness to help kids in the world, and that's why he was interested in Danone's programme. Street children face violence and deprivation daily on the crowded streets of Cairo, Africa's most populous city. The UN says that in the Egyptian capital alone, there are several hundred thousand homeless children. The project being promoted by Zidane is intended to provide some of those children with homes as well as basic health care, education and job training. The thousands of fans who attended the game saw Zidane, with his Algerian roots, as an Arabian hero. The thing I liked most about Zidane is that he's an Arab player and he reached a very high level. He's overtaken many players like Ronaldinho and he's the player I like the most. I like him even more than my family. With millions of dollars being thrown at football stars all over the world, it is a shame that there aren't more that follow in Zidane's footsteps. One young Egyptian football fan hopes that his actions will inspire other players to become more active in the community. There are no Egyptian players who are playing with small children in this type of charity event, teaching them something like this, and so I hope to see Egyptian players doing something like this. The controversial end to Zidane's career and the resulting fallout that dominated the sporting pages back in 2006 now seems little more than a bump in the road of an extraordinary career, both on and off the field. The story of the boy from the back streets of Marseille who grew up to be a sporting superstar not only serves as inspiration for other poor kids with big dreams, it also teaches his professional peers a big lesson in giving back. Leading by example, the great Zizou is proving that the privilege of being a top professional footballer brings with it the responsibility of becoming a positive role model.