Zinedine Zidane is a former French professional soccer player who doubles up as the current manager of the Spanish professional football club Real Madrid. Zidane is considered to be one of the greatest football players to have ever come from France. His extraordinary foot control tactics, teamwork, and visionary mind mindset earned him great success as a player in the field and trophies as a manager. Zidane is internationally revered as a real soccer legend.
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Source: Instagram
From humble beginnings to playing important positions in great football clubs, Zinedine Zidane is a modern football talisman. He proves that sportsmanship is also a source of income, fame, and a great career choice. From making historical scores in world football leagues to being one of the most successful managers France has ever produced, how did Zidane manage this! Read on to find out exciting life and career facts that make Zinedine Zidane a masterpiece figure in the world of soccer.
Zinedine Zidane profile summary
- Full name: Zinedine Yazid Zidane
- D.O. B: 23rd June 1972
- Age: 46 years
- Height: 6 feet and 1 inch
- Playing position: Attacking midfielder
- Current position: Real Madrid manager
Zinedine Zidane age
At only 46 years of age, Zinedine Zidane, who is popularly known as “Zizou,” seats top at the helm of French legendary football icons. Born on 23rd June 1972, Zizou belongs to the Zodiac sign Cancer. A group of people known for their creativity, being ambitious, and self-driven. His official birth name is Zinedine Yazid Zidane.
Where is Zinedine Zidane from?
As mentioned earlier, the Real Madrid coach comes from France. He was born and bred in the La Castellane neighbourhood. Castellane is found in France’s second largest city called Marseille, which is geographically located in the Southern region of France.
Family and ethnicity
Did you know that Zizou comes from an Algerian descent? Yes! Smail and Malika, Zinedine’s father and mother, migrated from Algeria to Paris in 1953. The migration was necessary as Smail and Malika’s safety was at risk, triggered by the upcoming Algerian War of Independence. A war between France and Algeria.
As immigrants, his foreign family settled in Barbes and later Saint-Denis; two of the toughest cities that led in high urban unemployment rates and crime-related violence. Later on, the family moved to Marseille in the mid-1960s period. Marseille is where the football star Zizou was born.
Zidane happens to be the last born in a family of five siblings. Smail, Zizou’s father, was a hardworking but straightforward breadwinner for his family. He earned a living by working as a handyman, a night shift watchman, and a warehouse manager. As a housewife, Malika, Zinedine’s mother, raised her 5 children to become useful citizens who would lead the family out of the tough neighbourhood.
Early career life
Image: instagram.com, @zidane
Source: Instagram
At the tender age of 5 years, Zizou’s passion for soccer was evident. In the Castellane neighbourhood, he engaged in the numerous street football tournaments where he played and practised his skills with local kids. Young Zidane looked up to some of the greatest players like Blaz Sliskovic for inspiration.
Playing for the local club -US Saint-Henri
5 years later, Zidane (10 years) was signed to US Saint-Henri, a local football club founded in his birth town Marseille. Zinedine played for the club for almost one year and 6 months. As a skilled player, Yazid was sought after by the Septèmes-les-Vallon’s coach, Robert Centenero. After turning 14, he got the lifetime chance of attending the French Football Federation’s training workshop called CREPS. The acronym in full reads “Regional Centre for Sports and Physical Education."
The CREPS camp provided Zidane with a platform of showcasing his skills to the various football scouts who seek fresh talented players. Zinedine successfully managed to impress Jean Varraud, a professional scout from AS Cannes F.C. During the 1986 World Cup T.V. broadcast, Zidane found inspiration from the legendary soccer player Diego Maradona. Just like that, his passion and career in football found inspiration and was destined to take off!
Club career
It all began in AS Cane FC. For 4 years, Yazid played for AS Cane marking the genesis of his professional football career. Coming from a humble background, Zidane depended on the kindness of Jean-Claude Elineau, who provided for him and other 20 upcoming young players a shelter to stay at his home. A small boy in a big city, Yazid faced a lot of criticism based on his ghetto background and Algerian ethnicity.
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Zidane’s aggressive nature
Jean Varraud, his first coach, was the source of guidance to the young player. Zidane was always aggressive at anyone who looked down on him. Jean enabled him to channel his anger in perfecting his skills. He, however, had to face numerous punishment whenever he lost his cool. He was once ordered to do washing chores as a punishment for punching a rival team player who mocked him.
Image: instagram.com, @zidane
Source: Getty Images
Flash forward to the 2006 World Cup Final, Zinedine Zidane head-butt is one of the photographic memories that linger upon minds of the millions of football spectators and fanatics. Zidane was shown a red card after head-butting Marco Materazzi, an opponent Italian Middlefield player.
The street he grew up in had a significant impact on his temper and attitude. The fact remains that Zinedine was determined to change the narrative. As a player on a successful mission, Zinedine moved to Girondins de Bordeaux as his second professional team. He later joined UEFA Champions League team Juventus and finally Real Madrid.
International player
In his international career, Zidane was a legal Algeria and France citizen. However, the word in the street was that the then Algerian national team coach, Abdelhamid Kermali, considered Zinedine to be very slow to join the Algerian national squad.
He made his debut in the national French under 21 team. Zinedine managed to play in other international tournaments that include: Euro 1996, 1998 World Cup, Euro 2000, 2002 World Cup, Euro 2004, and 2006 World Cup. Below is the detailed statistics table.
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Source: UGC
Zinedine Zidane Real Madrid coaching/managerial statistics
1 June 2009 marked the date Zizou officially became the personal advisor to Real Madrid’s president, Florentino Perez. In July 2011, he advanced to become the clubs sporting director, and in 2013, the assistant coach to Carlo Ancelotti. On 4 January 2016, Yazid replaced Rafael Benitez to become Real Madrid’s manager. Coach Zinedine enabled Real Madrid to win Championship League, Super Cup, La-Liga among other significant tournaments. He is still the current coach.
Zinedine Zidane height and body stats
The former attacking midfielder stands tall at 1.85m, which translates to 6 feet 1 inch. His cumulative body mass is 176 Ib / 80 kgs. When it comes to body size, the current Real Madrid coach bears a bust size of 40 in / 102 cm, a waist size of 30 in / 78 cm, and shoe size 10.5 (U.S.) / 44 ((E.U.). As a celebrity footballer, his appearance as a bold headed coach is easily recognized by soccer fans.
Zidane net worth
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Source: Instagram
From rags to riches, humble backgrounds to expensive possessions, Zizou is estimated to be worth 70 million dollars in 2019. The former captain of France upgraded from being Carlo Ancelotti Real Madrid FC assistant coach to being the manager in January 2016. His coaching salary is $9.5 million per season. A rich man, Yazid possesses a Range Rover ($53,000), Audi ($100,000), and Ferrari ($200,000). Zidane currently lives with his family in a $2.5 million elegant mansion located in Madrid.
Zinedine Zidane wife
Image: instagram.com, @zidane
Source: Instagram
Imagine meeting your wife at 17 years of age! That is Zidane for you. The coach had already befriended the Aveyron born beauty Véronique Fernández as a teenager. This was through his early career while playing for Cannes (1988-1989). The two lovebirds exchanged their vows in 1994 and were later blessed with 4 sons.
Zinedine Zidane kids
Zizou and Véronique Fernández kids are Enzo Alan Zidane Fernandez (24 March 1995), Luca Zidane Fernandez (13 May 1998), Theo Fernandez (18 May 2002), and the lastborn Elyaz (26 December 2005). Talk about “A chip from the block,” Zinedine's children are active in following their father’s footsteps.
All the kids play soccer — Enzo, who plays as a middle fielder in Rayo Majadahonda. Luca is a Real Madrid goalkeeper, while Theo is playing for Cadete A. Furthermore, his son Elyaz is nurturing his skills as a midfielder in Real Madrid Academy. Ladies and gentlemen, this is just but a touch of Zidane’s legacy.
From showcasing his soccer skills at 5 to becoming the coach of Real Madrid at 44, Zinedine Zidane is a true football veteran. He started from a humble beginning and now is known internationally for his legendary goals, skilled tactics in ball control, and even giving back to football as Real Madrid's coach. The world needs more inspiring players like Zidane!
READ ALSO: Zinedine Zidane: Real Madrid boss ready to offload Bale, 10 others this summer
Source: Legit
