RTL Radio interview conducted by Laurent Boyer, May 30th 2007
Translated from French by Flo_6
- About sailing with Yann Elies
Passion for sailing, especially love for the sea because of his “Marseillaise”
origins, he has never had the opportunity to sail a boat and from time to time
in the summer he takes his family and they put to see to be undisturbed. He's
not a specialist of sailing but he is improving with Yann Elies.
Yann (sailor from grand father to father and son) said it was a child’s dream to
do the Vendée Globe which is a kind of Graal. With Generali, he ‘s going to do
different races : Jacques Vabre, Transat in 2008, Fastnet …
He said that Ziz is better at ease on a field than on a boat concerning his
motion but he was positively surprised by his “feeling” of the wind especially
when he took the tiller, he could leave him Generali a few minutes.
Ziz answered that he was not afraid since Yann was near him and that it was only
for 2 days but it will be different next time at night.
**First listener: Thierry /Morbihan/foot fan (4 sons). Boyer told that Ziz after
having played football all day, back home in the evening, played football with
this sons and train them.
Question #1: JPP nicknamed Zinédine Zizou???
Wrong, it was Courbis, the coach, when he began in 92 in Bordeaux after Cannes
(“Marseillais tradition”). He talked about “the magic triangle” they used to
form with Lizzarazu and Dugarry, because all were selected in the french team
but they became friends, they still play together from time to time, last time
was Futsal in Bercy and for the Fundation France 98.
+Common point between Zinedine and Michel Berger: (1) Did he take piano lessons?
(2) In Algeria Ziz’s father was a shepherd (berger in french)? (3) The first
match of Ziz in the french team was France vs Galles (in english Wales but in
french it’s Berger’s wife, the singer France Galles)+
The right one is (2). Smail was a shepherd in Algeria, he did several jobs, grew
up in the village of Bejaia; he spent a year in Paris in 1952, then moved to
Marseille because of the climate … (has known his future wife, Malika from
childhood, grew up together) ; His father has never told him he loved him but
his gestures were stronger than words and he protected him like his mother. Ziz
tries to say his love more often than his father.
+Song: Which famous footballer recorded a song in 1978?+
Marius Trésor; Ziz said that he didn’t know Marius sang, but he knows he head
butted !!! (65 selections in the french team)
+Surprise question for Zinedine: Is the look important for you?+
Yes, I like to be well dressed. I also wear baskets (even if he no longer plays
football), I take care of my look even if I’m not following the fashion, I like
to get dressed.
**Second listener: Emmanuel from Calvados, football fan, 33
+Question #1: When Ziz scored his first goal in first divison, he got a car?+
Yes, it was in Cannes in 91 against Nantes, he was very surprised since he
expected a second hand car (he had just got his driving licence) and he got a
new red Clio during a party ; it was the idea of the captain of the team, Luis
Fernadez ; Alain Pedretti, the President was very generous. He had met Veronique
on the eve of the match in 91, she was a dancer. (Boyer says she is still a
beautiful woman)
+Commont point between Ziz and the Gendarmes in St Tropez: (1) Has ziz got an
autograph from De Funes? (2) Ziz was a sergeant at the end of his military
service? (3) The name of the woman who hosted Ziz in Pegomas is Nicole?+
The right one is of course (3), Nicole. Flash back on his coming to Pegomas on
May 1st after 20 years, the Elineau family had the idea of this inauguration. He
was 13 years old and a half and his parents didn’t want him to stay alone in the
training center of Cannes and he was hosted at the Elineau’s during a year. They
were like a second family, she was a second mother for him (slices of bread in
the morning), they hosted 3 other young boys. On Wednesday, there were the
french fries he used to eat with bread that would remind him Marseille and its
street sandwich shops (sometimes he still put fries in bread !!!).
+Sound question: What is the name of this comic?+
It was Jamel Debbouze. He declared that if he had a son, he would call him Zizou
and if it was a girl, the same. He loves football, quite well played in
Marseille for Unicef even if sometimes offside. He lighted up the match.
**Third listener: Patrick from Isere, supports the Psg and Zinedine l’OM (difficult
matches between psg and om)
+Question #1: Ziz named his first son Enzo because of Enzo Ferrari?+
No. Enzo Schiffo (Auxerre)? No, it was Enzo Francescoli, who played for Marseille. Ziz
saw him play in the gallery, he wanted to be like him later since he was
elegant, efficient, somebody very simple (he met him later) , one of the
greatest (Maradonna and Pelé), he was his example. The player who impressed him
the most was Ronaldo : when he was in good shape, he made what he wanted.
Enzo, 12, midfielder like his father for the Real Madrid, he won the Mic
tournament : ziz said that he trained Enzo and now his brothers, that he is
still young and he does not want to speak about this, that too many things have
been said around it, that he does not speak about that with Enzo , they must be
protected (because of the pressure); what is important today are the studies and
he will do what he wants later, it’s very difficult to become a professionnal
player nowadays I want him to take pleasure in playing and I don’t want him to
be compared to his father ; for the moment everything’s ok.
+Common point -- Ziz and the dictation by Bernard Pivot: (1) Ziz had pupils make
a dictation? (2) Ziz wanted to be a teacher? (3) Ziz loved dictations at school?+
It is (1). Back in Oct 2006 with Ela, dictation to a CE2 class in Paris, 12e,
godfather since 5 or 6 years and what is moving for me is that there have been
progresses that I’m useful because every day it’s difficult for the families who
have a sick child, it was a very strong involvement.
+Sound question: What is the name of the actor who played the goalkeeper in
“Mensonges et Trahisons et plus si affinités”?+
Clovis Cornillac.
+Surprise question for Zinédine: Do you sing when you’re under the shower and if
so what do you sing?+
I never sing. Only when I’m alone. Once there was a camera and now it’s on a dvd,
I avoid when there are people around , "every one his stuff" (EDIT: He was
probably referring to this bit of singing).
**Fourth listener: Bruno (Val de Marne) footballer
+Affirmation: In august 2006 Ziz attended in Bercy the concert of Hallyday?+
No, it was Madonna, 28 august 2006. he went there incognito with a head covering
, there was a lot of people. Sometimes I put it on. It was to have a good
evening , to attend a good show. He discovered Madonna in Cannes in 1987 on the
Croisette, he saw her 2 or 3 times from far a distance. In 2006 she was 10
meters far from him. He did not meet her.
+Common point -- Ziz and Aimé Jacquet: (1) He selected Ziz for the first time in
the french team? (2) He’s the godfather of one of his son? (3) Ziz imitates him
very well?+
The right one is (1), Aimé selected him for the first time in 1994, august 17 in
Bordeaux France vs Czech Republic , Djorkaeff got injured the eve of the match
and he played 20mns and scored twice. Cantona gave him the match flag and told
him “ That’s well, young boy, you deserve it “
+Sound question: From what series is extracted this music theme?+
Prison Break (one of Ziz’s favourite series)
+Surprise question: Would you like to be less known, less famous to be
undisturbed?+
No, in Bordeaux, at my beginning , it was rather nice to be asked and to sign
autographs; I’ve never complained about that and I’ve always said to myself that
it was a luck to be famous and to be recognized and I’ve always accepted the
game rules so that when I want to be undisturbed , I know what to do …
**The final with Zizou : Thierry
+I worked in a hardware store to buy my first pair of football shoes?+
False, it was his father who spared a lot to buy him “la copa mondiale”
(Adidas), every child dreamt of it.
+Before football, did I practise judo?+
True. I practised both but I stopped just before going to Cannes at 12. He has
the green belt (Farid, his older brother has black belt and went to the french
junior championships, I wanted to do like him but I had to make a choice )
+I took my first licence at Septemes Les Vallons?+
False, it was not at the Us St Henry (popular neighbourhood, next to La
Castellane) in 82, but As Foresta, today it’s le Club de La Nouvelle Vague, the
name has changed ; my brother, Farid is the president and I’m here as as I said
I could take my licence there and play on sundays when I come to see my parents
in Marseille.
+I have often been on the tv canal + show "Nulle Part Ailleurs"?+
False, it’s the name of the pub he has bought with Dugarry in Bordeaux. It was
nice, we wanted something in common.
+I got married in Marseille.+
False, in Bordeaux in '94
+I’m the youngest of 4 children.+
False, family of 5 children: Jamel, Farid, Nordine, and Leila (the manager of
Zidane Diffusion but it’s a family affair in fact)
Godspeed, Zizou!