Tag: zidane

A-Z of the 2000s: Zinedine Zidane

Before hanging up his boots for good after the 2006 World Cup, two moments, across six years of this particular decade, defined Zinedine Zidane

Zidane Zidane and the defining moments of genius at Euro 2000

Zinedine Zidane arrived at Euro 2000 following yet another impressive season in Turin. His creativity and ability to spot passes – barely visible on television broadcasts, let alone amongst the intensity of…

France’s unlikely journey to the 2006 World Cup final

France’s journey to the 2006 World Cup final was one of the last great stories of the competition. A bizarrely quixotic campaign had its origins in the return of three veterans, who…

The art and anatomy of scoring a beautiful goal

They say art is a subjective matter. What one person finds majestic another can find abhorrent. Tracey Emin’s Unmade Bed, Michelangelo’s statue of David and Banksy’s Raise the Drawbridge are all works of…

Zinedine Zidane: myth, God and king

Illustration by Federico Manasse “Zidane is a myth,” said former France coach Raymond Domenech. “A myth capable of setting off emotions in people, and not only positive ones.” Domenech’s assessment of a player…

Zinedine Zidane and the making of a king

From a simple life as the son of two Algerian migrants to the peak of football, we celebrate the genius and madness of Zinedine Zidane and his career as football’s ultimate big-game player.

The story of France’s failure at World Cup 2002

The 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea was a tournament of shocks and surprises, with a touch of genuine quirkiness thrown in for good measure. Never before had European audiences…