The Z factor

Zinedine Yazid Zidane doesn’t startle you with his power, nor does he possess blinding speed but when he moves on the football field, he does it with the grace of a ballet dancer - his movements, controlled and precise. His team-mates have often said that when they don’t know what to do, they just pass the ball to ‘Zizou’ and he will find a way.

There is little that this son of Algerian immigrants hasn’t accomplished on the football field. His list of achievements is exceptional - in 1996, the European Super Cup and the World Club Cup with Juventus; in 1998, World Cup with France and European Player of the Year award — the Ballon d’Or; in 1999, FIFA 1998 World Player of the Year; in 2000, the Euro Championship with France, named Player of the Tournament, FIFA World Player of the Year for the second time; in 2002, European Champions League and World Club Cup with Real Madrid; in 2003: FIFA World Player of the Year for the Third time.

So it wasn’t surprising when Real Madrid shelled out an astronomical US $66 million to ensure his transfer to Juventus in 2001.

“He dominates the ball, he is a walking spectacle and he plays as if he had silk gloves on each foot,” the former Real Madrid great Alfredo Di Stefano has said of him.

War zone: The French-Algerian’s greatness lies beyond what his antics on the playing field. Former manager of the France national team, Jacques Santini, has always been careful not to praise his players more than is strictly necessary but his admiration for Zidane has been fulsome. “He never shies from responsibility either on the field or off it,” he says.

“That’s why he is such a good influence on the game and such a captain. He is never afraid.”

Perhaps Zidane’s lack of fear comes from his tough upbringing. Anything that the opposition can throw at him, he’s seen worse. Born and raised in the tough multi-ethnic La Castellane region of Marseille to Algerian parents, he became a role model to the ever-increasing racially diverse French youth.

Indeed, it was his ability to embrace Muslim, African and French cultures that helped to bring the country together in unique fashion after their 3-0 win over Brazil in the 1998 World Cup final.

Hot-headed: Zizou’s early coaches often sought out ways to help him channel his anger into his play. Zidane’s first coaches at AS Cannes noticed quickly that he was raw and sensitive, eager to attack spectators who insulted his race or family.

The priority of his first coach, Jean Varraud, was to get him to channel his anger and focus more on his game. According to The Guardian, Zidane’s first weeks at Cannes were spent mainly on cleaning duty as a punishment for punching an opponent who had mocked his ghetto origins. From time to time, that brutal side of Zidane still surfaces.

The most famous examples of this include head butting Jochen Kientz of Hamburg during a Champions League match, when he was at Juventus in 2000 (an action that cost him a five match suspension) and his stomping on the hapless Faoud Amin of Saudi Arabia during the 1998 World Cup finals. But on the whole, he is now admired for his self-control and discipline.

Off the field: A shy, reticent person, he is intensely private. During his second season at Cannes, he met his future wife Veronique, a Spanish dancer. He now has four children, Enzo, Théo, Lucas and Elyas. He is also Christian Dior’s first male model.

Playing the field: Having previously won both the European and World Footballer of the Year awards, Zidane was voted the No 1 European player of the past 50 years in UEFA’s Jubilee poll. His name is spoken in the same breath as Diego Maradona and Pele.

The Brazilian legend, Pele, was once asked to name his best defender. He said it was England skipper Bobby Moore. Many were surprised, Moore was good but he lacked the pace. But what he lacked in pace, he made up for in vision.

The same holds true for Zidane and even though his decline is clearly evident, opponents still fear him because he has the ability to create magic.

He retired from international football in 2004 but went back on the decision a year later. With the World Cup looming, Zidane has just one thing on his mind: to lead the ‘Les Bleus’ to their second W’Cup triumph.