Zizou

Everything has been written on Zizou. Whether it was an individual or team award, for club or for country, Zidane has quite frankly won the lot. But more so than silverware, what he has left in our memories is simply the classiest, most elegant player ever!

Pelé and Maradona may be considered the best football players of all time, Zinedine Zidane was arguably the most elegant player in the history of the beautiful game, with an amazing individual technique, super natural vision of the game, scoring ability, and an unmatched class in all of his movements. Every now and then, a football player comes along who is so transcendent that he belongs in an exclusive club, that player is Zinedine Zidane. 

Fans will always remember when it comes to Zizou but how he made the game look. He gracefully glided about the pitch like he was walking on water, dazzling opponents with his quick feet and gravity-defying level of balance. When describing the iconic French midfielder, people often rely on parallels outside of football to capture his transcendent brilliance.

The way he glided across the pitch was more akin to a dancer than a footballer and his first touch felt like an artist’s perfect flick of a paintbrush.

You’ll struggle to find a more common idol for the game’s current stars, because Zidane was the greatest player in the world when they were all growing up.

His first touch was so good he may as well have had super glue on his laces. And he just had an aura that suggested there was something slightly different about the man…a maestro. 

He won everything there was to win. His stats speak for himself but the only real way of appreciating Zinedine Zidane, is with the all-important but often-underused ‘eye test’, whereby you do away with all of those unnecessary facts and figures in place of simply watching a player in isolation and seeing how they perform. Put everything away and simply watch him, it is purely amazing. 

Throughout his illustrious career, Zidane became one of those players who grew in confidence and calmness as the years went by. But even during his earlier stints with Bordeaux and Juventus, his maturity in assessing situations and versatility with which he would address them became a feature of his midfield play.

In essence, Zinedine Zidane’s midfield movements are a great showing of his intelligence and understanding of what the game of football requires of him. He learned to play, like many, in the streets where you play for hours and hours, refining your skills and understanding of the game. 

The man was blessed with the vision, patience, timing and ability to ensure that he was in control of whatever he wanted to do. He often is quoted for saying that he became a real pro in Turin, where he built the physic he needed to dominate the game. Things got even better once he became a ‘Galactico’ in 2001. Ever since, he’s written his name into the Real Madrid galaxy with his balance in possession, positional sense and striking ability. While Zidane would go on to achieve his goal of European success with Los Blancos and would ultimately become a Real legend, his time at Juventus will forever be the greatest period of his career for football romantics.The glorious Juve kits of the 90s, the Zizou hairline still just about intact, the youngster pirouetting his way past some of the best defenders in the world.

There’s just something about the Old Lady and Zidane that felt right.

He wouldn’t score every single game, mind you, but when he did, it was usually special.But in ‘Zizou’, you had an elegant, ballet-like proposition who knew when to attack and how to win. What about THE incredible volley against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League final in 2002 which gave Real Madrid its 12th C1?

 France’s victory in the 1998 World Cup in Paris is the perfect example…2 goals in the first half and the game was over. He became a french legend until the end of time that evening in Saint Denis. Perhaps it was because he reminded him so much of himself as a player, but Platini was never shy in expressing his admiration for Zidane, describing him as ‘the king of what’s fundamental in the game’. 

Few players have the ability to change the face of football with their talent. Zinedine Zidane's touch, grace and skill on the ball have ensured that, despite one of the most public breakdowns in the game's history at the 2006 World Cup final, he remains in the public consciousness as the best player of his generation and an icon to all who have seen him play. Zizou symbolizes how they play football in heaven.

ZIZOU Zinedine Zidane was a ‘dancer’ and an ‘artist’ on the pitch, idolized by Pogba, Hazard, Ronaldinho and named as the ‘greatest ever’ by Beckham and Ronaldo.

Beckham

Becks played alongside Zizou at Madrid and, for him, there has never been a better footballer.

“To train with Zinedine Zidane for three years was a dream. For me, he is the greatest player of all time.”

Ronaldo

 “He’s the best player with whom I have ever played with. We had a lot of fun on the pitch.”

Franco Baresi

“He was as elegant as a dancer – he even used the soles of his boots efficiently.

“Everything was easy for him; he made such movements that if I tried to copy them I would break my legs.”

Ronaldinho

“Zidane is one of the best footballers of all time, one of my idols. He had such elegance and grace, a wonderful touch and superb vision.”

Desailly

 “A true artist. What he could do with the ball was incredible.”

He is one of top three French legends with Kopa and Platini. 

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