ZINEDINE ZIDANE
I don´t want to be a common player
1998
He looked restless on the substitute bench. Pale, afraid as all
the 41,000 Frenchmen who stood petrified at the Félix Bollaeret de Lens stadium
before the heroic resistance of Chilabert and his team mates, but with a deep
feeling of guilt that constantly reminded him of the picture he had seen so many
times during those last few days: the Saudi Arabian captain Fouad Amín falling
to the ground, his left boot on the rival’s body, the red card shown to him, his
silent sending-off, the feeling of a two-date suspension...
Last Sunday, Zinedine Zidane looked sad and concerned - “plus blanc que Laurent
Blanc” (whiter than Blanc), as the L’ Equipe newspaper put it humorously – with
a feeling of helplessness off the playing field after a childish reaction which
he certainly would not have forgiven himself if his team had not made it through
the round of 16, after being unanimously heralded as the key player of a
National Team on its quest to its first World Cup. “I’m disappointed and tired,
” he confessed following his expulsion in the second encounter played by France
. I know what I did and therefore, I know what I deserve. My strain and attitude
are basically the result of all the pressure I have been under. I hope this
serves me right...”
A silent symbol
In spite of his expulsion, Zinedine is France’s main star in this World Cup.
Blessed by all specialists, object of all kind of praises by football fans and
focus of many street posters, the hopes of finding a “new Platini” are placed in
Zizou. There is a poster garnishing the French streets with colours which stands
out from the rest and was designed by the World Cup sponsors. This poster
features two perfectly harmonious images merging to form a picture where you can
see Zidane with the French shirt and a small child at his feet, in a pastoral
atmosphere. “In a way, this is the story of Zinedine- a child who grew up in
poverty and blossomed into the symbol of our National Team” says Jean Paul, a
31-year-old football fan who is studying law in Paris and speaks Spanish
perfectly. “That’s why they’ve chosen Zidane. But he didn’t want to be placed in
that position since he does not consider himself a leader. In fact, he is very
shy, he finds it hard to express himself.”
As far as his movements and gestures are concerned, this phrase may proove quite
true. Harassed by myriads of microphones in the “bleu” training session at Le
Centre Technique National de Clairefontaine – 60 kilometres from Paris – Zizou
looks like a child who is taking his first steps in the football stage. He
speaks in a quiet voice, gives short answers mingled with frequent smiles,
always in a very easy-going manner...
“I know that today I must take more responsibilities than the rest of the
players,” he thinks, “and I don’t mind doing it. I will never be Didier
Deschamps, who is France’s real patron. I can not conceive a team without him,
since he is an essential player, not only for Juventus but for the National Team
as well. The same happens in Brazil: there are excellent players like Ronaldo or
Rivaldo, but the leader – the wheeler and dealer – is Dunga.
Has your experience in Juventus helped you to be mentally more strong?
Yes, I’ve gone through several changes, physical as well as mental. The gap
between Juventus and other teams is enormous. The first day I started training
for the club, Giampiero Ventrone – the fitness coach – told me: “I will not put
your football skills on doubt – if not, the Juve would not have hired you- but
you must now improve your physical condition. I will help you to be more
strong.”
The Cup or nothing
“He has an impulsive nature which he finds hard to control” says French captain
Deschamps. Therefore, Zinedine’s reaction at Sadi Arabia’s match was not a
surprise. Many people remember his two sending-offs –with fights included-
during his French period – one of them with his current team mate and friend
Marcel Desaily, who he headed- which were due to insults related with his Arab
origin. Zinedine is the son of Argelian parents from a very poor neighbourhood
known as Kabylie and – like a large part of the French population (40% of the
country’s inhabitants were born or are descendants of different colonies) – has
been object of discrimination in several occasions: “He does not talk a lot, so
he gathers up anger and ends up striking people”, Jean Paul acknowledges.
That reaction came to the ears of Smail Zidane, Zinedine’s father, a building
worker. As Zidane himself explained, his father never watches his son’s matches
live...
He is afraid something bad is going to happen so he does not go to the stadium
nor watches the matches in TV. He records the matches in a video and leaves. He
later asks me if something important happened to me and so then he watches it a
hundred times. He keeps everything: he has a lot of photographs, news reports.
He hardly talks in public. He doesn’t like that since he is very shy. When he
walks in the streets of Marsella, people stop him and congratulate him, but he
feels embarassed. He has always been my counselor and has given me very good
advice. He’s my guide. He has worked hard to earn very little, but that didn’t
prevent him from getting to know life and having feelings.
What are the chances of France winning the Cup?
We will be placed among the best teams. We have the necessary potential to
achieve this. When one looks at the names of our players and learns that they
are playing for the most important teams, one understands that everything is
possible.
Zidane, do you mind when people compare you with Platini?
No, not at all. I have a long way before I can match him in quality..
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