One of the all-time greats in football, Zinedine Zidane turns 48 on June 23. Currently the manager of Spanish giants Real Madrid, which is at the top of the La Liga standings, Zidane was known for his great control on the ball and magical touch during his playing days.
On the occasion of his birthday, let us have a look at his career highlights
Zidane, the player
There are two images that are most associated with Zidane, both from the FIFA World Cups. In 1998, he helped France win the World Cup at home defeating Brazil 3-0 in the finals. Zidane was brilliant in the finals, scoring two headers to put his team ahead. Zidane with the World Cup trophy is what many of us remember from that tournament.
Then came the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals, when Zidane head-butted Marco Materazzi in a match that France finally lost to Italy. He was shown a red card and this also effectively brought an end to his career. It is a moment no one can forget.
For his national side, Zidane has played 108 international matches, scoring 31 goals. Having won the prestigious Ballon d’Or once, Zidane was also bestowed with the FIFA World Player of the Year three times.
He played for four clubs having started with Cannes in 1989. He left the club to join Bordeaux in 1992 where he stayed for four years. After this, Zidane joined Italian side Juventus where he played from 1996 to 2001. He then shifted base to Spain and played for Real Madrid. He played 506 matches in his club career having scored 95 goals.
Zidane, the coach
Zidane became the manager of the Real Madrid senior team in 2016, he was coaching the club’s ‘B side’ earlier. Since then, he has been massively successful. Under his leadership, the Madrid side has won 10 trophies, including three consecutive European Cups between 2016 and 2018.
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