Who is Zinedine Zidane?

Question

forgive my ignorance, but i heard him on the news about hitting a player on the soccer tournament? can u plz tell me who is he and wat happend?

Answer 1

Soccer rhino.

Answer 2

He's the captain of the french soccer team but he's not french, he's from Algeria. He head butted an Italian Soccer player in the World Cup.

Answer 3

a french soccer legend,who happened to get a little mad during the world cup and got a sent off with a red card in the last game hewill ever play for france.

Answer 4

naty, naty naty. tsk tsk. zz was the captain of the french national soccer team until this year where he threw away the final game after headbutting Matterazi from the italian team who won. he has now retired and is in hiding from the press. and he's bald

Answer 5

he's the captain of the french soccer team, great player, one of the best,

Answer 6

Like the above but he is French born of Algerian parents who migrated to Marseilles (south of France)......from what I've read.

Answer 7

he was frances captain in the 2006 wc he head butted an italian player for insulting him

Answer 8

the french team's best player and captain.... red card for head-butting some Italian player...

Answer 9

Zinedine Yazid Zidane, (often incorrectly spelled Zinédine, Arabic: زين الدين زيدان‎ transliteration: ZÄ«n ad-DÄ«n ZÄ«dān), (born June 23, 1972), popularly nicknamed Zizou (pronounced [zi'zu]), is a former French football player of Kabyle Algerian descent who has starred for both the French national team and for four club teams, most recently Real Madrid. Zidane is often considered to be one of the best footballers of his generation[2] and one of the greatest of all time. A midfielder, his elegant dribbling, balance, passing ability, shot accuracy, shot selection, control, first touch and well-placed free kicks have made him one of the game's finest players and the natural successor of Michel Platini as France's top playmaker. His precise control over the flow of the game and his ability to hold and protect the ball remain highly regarded.

Zidane received international attention with his two headed goals in the 1998 World Cup final against Brazil that essentially won his country's first ever title.

He has been elected FIFA World Player of the Year three times (1998, 2000, 2003), a record that has only been matched by Ronaldo, and once as European Footballer of the Year (1998). In 2004, Zidane was added to the FIFA 100, a list of the 125 greatest living footballers selected by Pelé as part of FIFA's centenary celebrations.

As announced on 25 April 2006[3], Zidane retired from international football after the 2006 World Cup Final on 9 July 2006.



Club career
Zidane was born in Marseille, France and raised in La Castellane, a government-sponsored housing project (cité HLM) in the northern suburbs of Marseille (the "Quartiers Nord"). Though born in Marseille, Zidane has never played for Olympique de Marseille. Zidane got his start in football at an early age, when he joined the US Saint-Henri club. He moved on to Septemes Sports Olympiques after Saint-Henri's coach convinced its director to sign him. After leaving Septemes at the age of 14, Zidane participated in the first year junior selection for the league championship. He was called in for three days at the sport regional centre in Aix-en-Provence, where Jean Varraud, AS Cannes' recruiter, took notice of the French-Algerian player. Zidane ventured off to Cannes for what was intended to be a six-week stay, but he remained at the club for four years to play with professionals. After spending four years with Bordeaux, he was transferred to Italy's Juventus F.C. for a fee of £3 million.

In 2001, Zidane was transferred from Juventus to the Spanish club Real Madrid on a four-year contract. The transfer fee was €66 million, making him the most expensive player in football history. His fellow Galacticos at Madrid included David Beckham, Raúl González, Luís Figo, Ronaldo, and Roberto Carlos. He scored a spectacular winning goal in a 2-1 win over the German team Bayer Leverkusen in the 2001-2002 Champions League Final at Glasgow's Hampden Park.

On 7 May 2006, Zidane played his last home game for Real Madrid at the famous Santiago Bernabéu stadium. His team-mates wore special jerseys that had "ZIDANE 2001 - 2006" written on the bottom of the club logo. As expected, the Real Madrid fans gave him a warm reception and kept cheering him throughout the whole game. The opponent team was Villarreal CF and the game ended in a 3-3 draw. He scored the second goal for Real Madrid without any major celebration. After the game, Zidane swapped jerseys with Juan Roman Riquelme, the Villarreal CF and Argentinian midfielder. Zidane was given a massive ovation by spectators, which left him in tears.


International career

Zidane wearing Real Madrid's KitZidane holds dual citizenship of both France and Algeria, and therefore could have played for Algeria. However, Algerian national coach Abdelhamid Kermali denied him a position on the team, arguing that the young midfielder was "not fast enough". Zidane earned his first cap with the French national football team on August 17, 1994, coming on as a substitute in the 63rd minute of a match against the Czech Republic. France was behind 2-0 when Zidane came on and subsequently scored two goals, to make the final score 2-2.

Zidane was a member of the French national football team in the 1998 FIFA World Cup. During France's second match of the first round, he received a red card and a two-game suspension in a 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia for stamping on Saudi Arabia's team captain Fuad Amin. Reports from people close to Zidane stated that Amin had provoked him verbally. [4]. After scoring in the penalty shootout against Italy in the quarter-final, he scored his first and only regular goals during the tournament in the final against Brazil, leading his team to a 3-0 victory, with France winning its first ever World Cup championship. This was also the first time in 20 years that the host country's team had won the tournament.

Two years later, Zidane and France won the Euro 2000 championship. He helped his team reach the final with inspired play and important goals, in quarter-finals against Spain — via direct free kick — and a golden goal penalty against Portugal in the semi-final. Subsequently, his team was ranked number one in the world, and it was the first time since West Germany in 1976 that a team held both the World Cup and European titles.

Injuries prevented Zidane from performing at his best in the 2002 FIFA World Cup. France's attempt at defending their title was unsuccessful; the team was eliminated in the first round without scoring a single goal. Zidane rushed back from his injury in time to play in France's last game, but could not perform at his usual level.[5]

On August 12, 2004, after France lost in Euro 2004 to the eventual winners, the Greek national football team, Zidane retired from international football.[6] However, after France experienced serious problems in attempting to qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Zidane announced on August 3, 2005 that he was coming back to play for France. He stated on his official website: "I have gone back on my decision, one year after I said it was categorical." On the same day, French teammate midfielder Claude Makélélé, who also quit the French team following Euro 2004, said he wanted to come out of international retirement as well, and in the same week, Lilian Thuram made the same announcement.[7] The trio made their competitive return in the 3-0 FIFA World Cup qualifier win against the Faroe Islands on September 3, 2005, and France went on to win their qualifying group.[8]

On 25 April 2006, after an injury-plagued season at Real Madrid, Zidane announced that he would retire from professional football following the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals in Germany.[9]

On May 27, 2006, Zidane earned his 100th cap for France with a 1-0 victory over Mexico at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis on the outskirts of Paris. It was his last match in the stadium and he became only the fourth Frenchman after Marcel Desailly, Didier Deschamps and Lilian Thuram to earn a hundred national caps. He was substituted early in the second half.[10]


2006 World Cup
In the closing minutes of France's second match of the 2006 FIFA World Cup, against South Korea, Zidane was given a yellow card for a late tackle. As a result, he was suspended from the third and final match of the group stage.[11] France nonetheless beat Togo 2-0, allowing Zidane to play in the knockout stage.[12]

In the Round of 16 match against Spain in Hanover on June 27, 2006, Zidane assisted Patrick Vieira on the second goal by sending a free kick into the penalty area. During stoppage time, he scored the final goal of the match, leading to a 3-1 victory. The win booked Zidane and France's date with defending champions Brazil in the quarter-finals of the tournament.

On 1 July 2006, France beat favoured Brazil 1-0 in Frankfurt. Zidane provided the free-kick assist for Thierry Henry's winning goal, and was named Man of the Match by FIFA's Technical Study Group.[13]

On 5 July 2006, France played against Portugal in Munich in the semi-final. Zidane scored a penalty kick against Ricardo, which turned out to be the only goal of the game and saw France through to the final against Italy.


2006 World Cup Final
On July 9, 2006, Zidane played his second World Cup final and scored in the seventh minute from the penalty spot with a chip shot that hit the crossbar before narrowly bouncing behind the goal line. He became one of only four footballers to achieve the feat of scoring in two different World Cup final matches, sharing the honour with Pelé, Paul Breitner, and Vavá. This goal also made him one of the top goalscorers in World Cup final matches, with 3 goals, tied for first place with Vavá, Geoff Hurst and Pelé. He almost scored a second goal during the first period of extra time but his header was saved by Italy's goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.


Confrontation with Marco Materazzi

Zinedine Zidane headbutting Marco Materazzi during the 2006 World Cup Final (see animated image, video,rear angle video, front angle video)Zidane was sent off for headbutting Italy's defender, Marco Materazzi, in the chest in the 110th minute, after an exchange of words while the two players were walking down the field. The game ended in a 1-1 draw and Italy won the championship after a penalty kick shootout.

The substance of the argument remained debated for a few days after the match. Newspapers had lip readers try to interpret what Materazzi had said. They came up with different interpretations, ranging from racist remarks concerning Zidane himself to obscene and insulting comments about Zidane's wife, mother, or sister. [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21]

Materazzi admitted that he did insult Zidane, but stressed that the insults were "the type [...] that we've heard before so many times on the pitch, and sometimes we don't even notice it." He insisted that the insult was not racist in nature, nor did it involve Zidane's mother. [22] [23] [24] [25]

In a Canal + interview [1] given three days after the match, Zidane stated that Materazzi had seriously insulted his mother and his sister, that he would "rather have taken a blow to the face than hear that," and that Materazzi had repeated his insults several times. Asked if Materazzi had called him "the son of a terrorist whore" (referring to an analysis by deaf forensic lip reader Jessica Rees), Zidane replied: "Ben oui" (Well, yes). He apologized to viewers and "people in education whose job it is to show children what they should and shouldn't do", adding that he did not regret his offence because "it would be like admitting that he [Materazzi] was right to say all that." Materazzi continued to deny the claims. [26] [27] [28] [29]


Reactions to the incident
French President Jacques Chirac hailed Zidane as a national hero and proclaimed: "You are a virtuoso, a genius of world football." He added: "You are also a man of heart and conviction. That is why France admires and loves you." [30]

French newspaper Le Figaro called the headbutt "odious" and said Zidane's "unacceptable gesture was sanctioned properly." [31] An editorialist in sports daily L'Equipe compared Zidane to Muhammad Ali, but added that neither Ali, nor Jesse Owens or Pelé had "broken the most elementary rules of sport" like Zidane did. He questioned how Zidane could explain the offence to his four sons and "millions of children around the world." On the following day, the newspaper issued an apology for these statements. [32]

Zidane's sponsors announced that they would stick with him. A French advertising executive was quoted saying that the "childish gesture" would give "a more human image of the hero." It would "bring the icon closer to the people." [33]

Belgian and Dutch media oppose the French forgiveness for Zidane's action, especially after his refusal to show regret, calling it a Zizoumanie. In these countries, it is stressed that this was Zidane's fourteenth red card for agressive non play related behaviour, and it is even claimed that his actions are minimised because he is of immigrant descent.[34] [35] The newssite HLN.be also reports that Zidane himself called the refereee a son of a whore during the semifinal.[36]


Golden Ball award
On July 10, 2006, Zidane was awarded the Golden Ball for being voted best player in the 2006 World Cup by a poll of journalists covering the tournament. Zidane received 2,012 votes, ahead of Italy's Fabio Cannavaro (1,977 votes) and Andrea Pirlo (715 votes). The vote began during half time of the World Cup final, and continued until midnight. According to BBC sports, "the vast majority of those votes were cast by journalists before the final was over.", so those votes did not account for the headbutting incident. [37][38]


FIFA investigation
This article documents a current sports-related event.
Information may change rapidly as the event progresses.

On July 13, 2006, the FIFA Disciplinary Commitee opened disciplinary proceedings against Marco Materazzi. As part of the investigation both players have been summoned to attend a face-to-face hearing before the Committee on 20 July 2006. [39] It has been speculated in the German press, that under the non-discrimination provision which FIFA adopted for its disciplinary code on 28 March 2006,[40][41] FIFA may ultimately impose harsh sanctions on Materazzi and/or the Italian team, up to and including disallowing Italy's team the World Cup victory.[42] FIFA president Joseph Blatter has hinted that the investigation may also lead to Zidane being disallowed the Golden Ball Award.[43]


Honours
With the French national team:

FIFA World Cup
Winner: 1998
Runner Up: 2006
Appearances: 1998, 2002, 2006
European Championship
Winner: 2000
Appearances: 1996, 2000, 2004
With Juventus F.C.:

Italian League - Serie A champions (scudetto): 1996/1997, 1997/1998
European Super Cup: 1996
Intercontinental Cup: 1996
Italian Super Cup: 1997
With Real Madrid:

Spanish Super Cup: 2001, 2003
UEFA Champions League: 2001/2002
Intercontinental Cup: 2002
Spanish League - La Liga champions: 2002/2003
European Super Cup: 2002
Personal honours:

FIFA World Player of the Year: 1998, 2000, 2003
European Footballer of the Year (Ballon d'Or): 1998
UEFA Champions League Most Valuable Player: 2001-02
UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll (Best European player of the past 50 years): 2004
FIFA World Cup Golden Ball Award: 2006
Preceded by:
Ronaldo European Footballer of the Year
1998 Succeeded by:
Rivaldo
Preceded by:
Ronaldo FIFA World Player of the Year
1998 Succeeded by:
Rivaldo
Preceded by:
Rivaldo FIFA World Player of the Year
2000 Succeeded by:
Luis Figo
Preceded by:
Stefan Effenberg UEFA Champions League Most Valuable Player
2001-02 Succeeded by:
Gianluigi Buffon
Preceded by:
Ronaldo FIFA World Player of the Year
2003 Succeeded by:
Ronaldinho
Preceded by:
Oliver Kahn FIFA World Cup Golden Ball
2006 Succeeded by:
current holder


Personal life
Zidane is married to Véronique Zidane, a former dancer and model of Spanish origin. [44] They married in 1993 and have four sons named Enzo, Luca, Théo and Elyaz.

Zidane self-identifies as "Kabyle Berber first" and then Algerian and then French [2]. He has two firstnames : Yazid (a Berber first name [3]) and Zinedine (an Arab name).

He describes himself as a "non-practicing Muslim".[45]

Allegations by members of controversial French right-wing party Front National that Zidane's father was a Harki (an Algerian who fought for the French during the Algerian War of Independence), have been strongly denied by Zidane.[46]


Trivia
Zidane's parents were originally from the village of Aguemone, in the Kabylie region of Algeria.
The nickname Zizou was given to Zidane when he played for Bordeaux in the mid-1990s.[2]. Yaz - for Yazid, his middle name - is the nickname given to him by his brothers[2] and used by his family and close friends.[47]
When Zidane came back from international retirement, in August 2005, he was reinstated as captain of the French national team, where he wears squad number 10. At Real Madrid he wore squad number 5.
In an interview Zidane declared that when he was a teenager, he admired Olympique de Marseille's Uruguayan playmaker Enzo Francescoli (after whom he named his eldest son). He once was a ballboy at a match with Francescoli and thus saw him up close. [citation needed]
He was an Athens 2004 Torchbearer.
In 2004, Zinedine Zidane was appointed as "Chevalier" (Knight) of the Légion d'honneur by French President Jacques Chirac.
The first penalty kick Zidane ever missed for France was during his last match in a French stadium, while playing a friendly game against China in Saint-Étienne, June 7, 2006, the last preparation game for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, where he accidentally slid and placed the ball above the goal.
Zidane's first hat-trick was against Espanyol in La Liga 2006 with Real Madrid.
The assist for Thierry Henry's goal against Brazil in the 2006 FIFA World Cup quarter-final was Zidane's first in 53 games for his teammate. The game ended 1-0.
Zidane scored the only goal of the game, a penalty, in France's semi-final win over Portugal in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. It was the team's eighth consecutive successful spot-kick. Zidane also scored a penalty kick against Portugal in the semi-final of Euro 2000.
Zidane shares his birthday with former French teammate Patrick Vieira.
Zidane is known to be modest, quiet and admittedly shy. However, Zidane has occasionally shown a quick temper on the pitch. One such display occurred in a 2000/2001 Champions League match between Juventus Turin and Hamburger SV, in which Zidane headbutted Jochen Kientz; he received a red card for this action. He also received a red card and a two-game suspension for stamping on Saudi Arabia's team captain Fuad Amin in the 1998 World Cup, allegedly in response to an insult.[4] In extra time of the 2006 World Cup final, he was sent off for head-butting Italy's Marco Materazzi. Overall, he was sent off 14 times in his career.[48]
Zidane is the first player ever to be sent off during extra time of a World Cup final match. He is one of four players that have been sent off in a World Cup final [49] and one of only two players that have been sent off during two different World Cup tournaments (the other player being Cameroon's Rigobert Song). [50]
Zidane was sponsored by LEGO for a while, being the official endorser of the company's soccer line. He was immortalised in plastic in the form of a LEGO minifigure of himself. Zidane is also sponsored by adidas, who supply him with Predator football boots and gear. Other sponsorship deals have included Danone, Generali, France Télécom, Orange, Audi, Ford and Christian Dior. During the 2005/2006 season, sponsorship deals like this earned him €8.6 million, on top of his €6.4 million Real Madrid salary.