The French connection: Zinedine Zidane and Patrick Vieira

Vieira, like Zidane honed his skills at Cannes, but moved to greener pastures soon. After an unproductive season at AC Milan, he moved to Arsenal and this was where he made his name. He won the club a cabinet of trophies, and it is no coincidence that since the departure of their enigmatic club captain, Arsenal have not lifted a single trophy. But his legend did not stop in North London. He moved to Italy again and won the Scudetto with Juventus. After they were relegated in the aftermatch of the Calciopoli scandal, he moved to Inter; here too he won many trophies but with age catching up, he was more a squad player than anything else. He made a last move to Manchester City but he was nowhere near his own high standards and like a true sportsman, he retired.

The combination of Zidane and Vieira was one made in heaven by the gods of football. Though both of them played for Cannes and Juventus, they did so at different times. The only time they played together was when they were representing the Les Bleus. While Zidane was the force that led the French forward, Vieira was the bulwark that secured the base. They shared a telepathic understanding and more often than not found each other by instinct. It is not a mere coincidence that France achieved their international success only when both of these legends played together.

Currently too, they occupy similar positions. While their job titles may be different, they both coach the youth and reserve teams at the clubs they finished their career with. While Zidane is the technical director and unofficial negotiator in transfers for Real Madrid, Vieira is in charge of the youth team at Manchester City. Both are shaping up to be managers in the near future. I, for one, believe that they will succeed. Both are tough guys mentally and understand the niceties of the game. Their ability to inspire was visible all through their careers.

Although they acquired a reputation of being tough guys on the field, they are involved in various humanitarian gestures. Zidane supports half a dozen charities around the world and is a UN Goodwill ambassador and has donated to the UNDP and UNICEF. Vieira too is deeply involved with charity initiatives. He is the goodwill ambassador for the FAO and has supported various charities who work for the upliftment of the African continent.

The French pair are two of the finest I have seen play. Be it together or alone, they were unstoppable. Leaders on the field, now seeking to become leaders off it, and be it for when they become managers or in their charity initiatives they would always be distinguished by their resolve.

On this day, I wish the pair a very happy birthday.