Zinedine Zidane

Zinedine Zidane (born June 23, 1972) is a French former professional football player and current football manager. He was born in Marseille, France, and holds French nationality. Zidane is known by the pseudonym 'Zizou' . He is married to Veronica Zidane and is the father of Enzo Fernández, Luca Zidane, and Theo Zidane.

Zidane received his education at the University of Limoges. His career in football includes playing as well as managing. Zidane has played for and managed the football club Real Madrid. Some of his competitors during his playing career include Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Karim Benzema, and Ronaldo.

Throughout his career, Zinedine Zidane has received numerous awards and recognitions, including the Ballon d'Or, FIFA World Player of the Year, UEFA European Championship Player of the Tournament, La Liga Best Foreign Player, and many more.

As a manager, Zidane has also achieved significant success, such as winning the Best FIFA Football Coach award, La Liga Manager of the Month, and being the only manager in history to win three consecutive European Cup/UEFA Champions League finals.

In addition to his career in football, Zidane is the owner of Z5padel and Z5, businesses in the sports industry.

Zinedine Yazid Zidane was born on June 23, 1972, in Marseille, France. The son of Algerian immigrants, Zidane learned to play soccer in the streets of La Castellane, a rough section of Marseille. After starring for local youth clubs, 14-year-old Zidane was discovered at a French Football Federation training camp by AS Cannes recruiter Jean Varraud, and spent the next three years honing his skills in Cannes' youth division.

Zidane made his first professional appearance for Cannes at 17, scoring a goal in his debut. He transferred to Bordeaux in 1992, and in ensuing years the attacking midfielder earned renown for his sterling all-around play. Prone to the occasional flash of temper, Zidane otherwise was the embodiment of control with the ball at his feet, seemingly knowing when to maneuver through the defense, find a teammate with a pinpoint pass or rocket a shot at the goal.

Zidane transferred to Juventus F.C. in Italy's prestigious Series A League in 1996. The move brought a marked increase in visibility and expectations, but Zidane proved he was up to the challenge by steering Juventus to an Italian Super Cup, a UEFA Super Cup, an Intercontinental Cup and a pair of Series A titles over the next two seasons.At his peak when France hosted the 1998 World Cup, Zidane spearheaded Les Bleus' march through the tournament with his crisp passing and dribbling, and then scored twice as France shut down Brazil in the final, 3-0, to become a national hero. Two years later, Zidane again was the linchpin of the French team's run to international glory, which culminated with a 2-1 win over Italy for the European Championship.In 2001, Zidane signed with Spanish club Real Madrid for a world-record transfer fee of more than $66 million. The investment paid immediate dividends, as the French import helped Real Madrid win the coveted UEFA Champions League title in his first year and La Liga the following season.

Zidane had indicated he would retire after the 2006 World Cup in Germany, and it appeared his career was heading for a storybook finish when France advanced to the final against Italy. Instead, it ended in shocking fashion when, enraged by opponent Marco Materazzi's comments to him in extra time, he slammed his head into the Italian player's chest. Zidane was thrown out of the game, and France subsequently lost on penalty kicks.

Zidane joined Real Madrid's front office as an adviser and was named the club's sporting director in 2011. The following year, it was announced the French soccer legend would begin coaching at Real Madrid's youth academy, and in 2014 he was named coach of the club's B team.In January 2016, Zidane took over as manager of Real Madrid's first team. While some doubted how he would fare in front of a demanding owner and fan base, the icon soon silenced the critics with his overwhelming success, becoming the first manager to win two and then three consecutive Champions League titles. He also led Real Madrid to two UEFA Super Cups, two FIFA World Club Cups, one Spanish title and one Spanish Super Cup, before announcing he was stepping down in May 2018.However, Zidane was gone from the post for less than a year, as he returned to manage Real Madrid in March 2019.

In 2004, Zidane was named best European soccer player of the past 50 years by the UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll and was included in the FIFA 100, Pelé's list of the 125 greatest living players. He remains one of a handful of greats to win the FIFA World Player of the Year/Ballon d'Or award three times.