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The return of Zizou

by Ken Early

Friday, September 9, 2005

 

Seeing France flounder, Zinedine Zidane invited himself, Lilian Thuram and Claude Makelele back onboard. It has restored the French side's confidence. Ken Early profiles the man who is effectively in charge of the French national side, and provides analysis of Ireland's cruel loss; Daire Whelan interviews Dave Langan, who played a key role the last time France came to Landsdowne, in 1981 when we won 3-2 (p40); and Ger Gilroy and Ken Early discuss the future of Brian Kerr (p44)

The French have never been very passionate about football, but Zinedine Zidane is still the most popular man in France. It's partly because he is the only contemporary Frenchman who is both world famous and universally recognised as the outstanding genius in his field. It's partly because his way of playing the game is so stylish that even people who have no interest in football can immediately appreciate that Zidane is doing something extraordinary. He's also a nice guy, and he doesn't mind being bald.

But there's more to it than that. Which other son of North African immigrants has had his face projected onto the Arc de Triomphe at a moment of national ecstasy? Zidane's parents are Kabyles, a Muslim, non-Arabic people from the coast of Algeria. They emigrated to France in the 1960s and settled in the Arab-dominated suburbs of Marseille.

Yet unlike many other second-generation immigrants, Zidane has always enthusiastically defined himself as a true-blue French patriot. His nickname growing up in Marseille was his middle name, Yazid; since then he's become known by the more French-sounding Zizou. He is nominally Muslim, but doesn't practise. He has little interest in politics, and loathes the idea of being co-opted as a symbol for some political movement or other.

Of course, as racial politics have become more central to the French national debate over the years, it's inevitable that Zidane has occasionally been dragged on to the political centre stage. He became even more beloved of liberal France when he spoke out against Jean-Marie Le Pen's racist Front Nationale party during the tight Presidential race of 2002. Yet Zidane's main reason for intervening was probably that Le Pen insulted him personally. Le Pen described Zidane as "a son of French Algeria". This was offensive because it implied Zidane wasn't really French, but wasn't really Algerian either.

"Think – and I stress my words," Zidane said, "about the consequences of voting for a party that does not at all correspond to the values of France."

Liberal France likes to use Zidane's huge popularity as evidence that the country is becoming more open and enlightened towards minorities. But Zidane is a very agreeable kind of minority. The French like to hear second-generation immigrants speaking with reverence about "the values of France". The French would like more immigrants, especially Muslim immigrants, to take Zidane's attitude.

The French philosophy on immigrants has always been integrationist, rather than multicultural: they think those who come to France should act French, not cling to the values of their original country. Hence, for instance, the ban last year on the display of "overtly religious" symbols in public schools, which was clearly targeted at headscarf-wearing Muslim girls. Zidane, as a Muslim North African who has grown up to personify Gallic style, is the poster boy of the French integrationist model.

Naturally there are those who see Zizou as an Uncle Tom. France's friendly against Algeria in Paris two years ago turned into a nightmare for Zidane, as elements of the Algerian support taunted him and held up banners reading "Zidane-Harki". The harkis were Muslim Algerians who fought on the French side during the 1954-62 war and are seen by Algerian nationalists as the lowest of all traitors. The implication was that Zidane's father had been a harki, who had betrayed his religion, fought against his own people, then fled from justice to live among his imperial masters.

The match was abandoned amidst chaotic scenes in the second half as Algerian supporters invaded the pitch, cursing the French and chanting Osama bin Laden slogans. Appalled, Zidane declared: "I say this once and for all time: my father is not a harki. My father is an Algerian, proud of who he is and I am proud that my father is Algerian. The only important thing I have to say is that my father never fought against his country."

Mostly, Zidane chooses to express the important things he has to say through football, and he speaks most eloquently on the biggest occasions – his goals in the World Cup final of 1998 and the Champions League final of 2002 alone would be enough to ensure footballing immortality. Everyone likes him, and everyone is amazed when they learn he has been sent off 13 times in his career. While he might have won more at club level, he has been the most inspirational player in international football for most of the last decade. He describes the French national team as the best thing that ever happened to him. Why then, did he quit in the first place?

It's become increasingly fashionable for senior players to retire from international football before concluding their club careers, as the extra time off allows them more rest and recovery. Many believed that was Zidane's reason for quitting; he was getting old and wanted to preserve himself for Real Madrid. Last spring, the Spanish sports paper Marca even published a shocking exclusive revealing that Zidane was suffering from a withering genetic ailment which was gradually destroying his fitness.

This turned out not to be an exclusive at all: Zidane had always openly admitted to suffering from thalassemia, a genetic disorder affecting haemoglobin production which is common among North Africans and Italians. The severe form of the disease kills sufferers at an early stage of life, but the mild form Zidane has causes nothing more serious than profuse sweating during games (he reportedly drinks five litres of water a day).

The real reason he quit French team

The real reason he quit had nothing to do with his health or his advancing age. Even at 32 he had been France's best player at Euro 2004. It was down to a clash with the giant, fevered ego of France's manager Raymond Domenech. Domenech had spent 11 years in the unglamorous world of youth team coaching without ever winning anything. A handsome, articulate man with something of the diva about him, Domenech had always pined for a stage more appropriate to his multiple gifts. The chance to lead the French national team to the 2006 World Cup was a shot at the adulation he had long craved.

But when he arrived in the job he found that none of the players or staff seemed to want him around. Irritated, Domenech decided to show them he was no mere kids' coach. He fired all the backroom staff and waited 24 days before making his first phone call to Zizou. The player took the hint and the hump and jumped ship, swiftly followed by his friends Lilian Thuram and Claude Makelele. At last Domenech had the "elephants" out of the way and could begin moulding a collection of obedient youngsters into the French team of the future.

Unfortunately the new team turned out to be France's worst for 15 years. Domenech was clueless, the team had no leader. The republic ached for Zizou. After six games Zidane decided that Domenech's authority had deteriorated to the point where he could invite himself and his buddies, Thuram and Makelele, back on board. This they did in consultation with Vieira, presenting their decision to Domenech as a fait accompli. The manager and his chastened ego had no choice but to accept.

France will qualify

As we saw on Wednesday night, the French team is still not really a team. But could they have beaten Ireland without the confidence and stability Zidane and Makelele brought to the midfield? Probably not. Esprit de corps could be better, but they have talent, and time to iron out their flaws. Maybe one of these days, Zidane will even set up a goal for Henry (it hasn't happened yet in 40 internationals). The World Cup looks likely. The only question that remains is, will Raymond Domenech still be there to carry Zidane's teamsheet to the FIFA officials?

 

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