The phenomenon called Zinedine Zidane

The city of lights heralds a new beginning. The break of dawn and the advent of a new spring seems to have lifted the nonchalance of the people at the heart of the city. Walk by the lanes of Paris and you would find someone with a warm greeting. “Bonjour Monsieur”, he greets me as he stops. He parks his bike by the side and offers me to take into a new avenue. Five minutes of a brisk walk takes us to a somewhat deserted bylane. I am stunned as I lift my eyes to witness a five meter high bust coveted in bronze. That infamous incident which brought down curtains on an illustrious career spanning over two decades couldn’t have been more aptly portrayed. “Time does not wither talent”, he says and age is just a number. “If there was ever an epitome of feted playmakers in the most popular sports of the world, Zinedine Zidane would head the list by a mile. The term legend is used as a ragged doll these days”, he continues. “Il est une légende du football. Le meilleur jamais à jouer pour la France”. (He is a footballing legend. The best ever to play for France), I acknowledge in reply.

History has witnessed several legends often living in destitution in early life. Most of them have lived by their instinct coupled with their passion, determination and the willingness to succeed, earning themselves the tag of immortals. Zinedine Zidane or ‘Zizou’, as he is affectionately called, is no different. Born in one of the poorest families of Marseilles, his tale of achieving a cult status from a street footballer goes down in modern day’s football fables.

They call Messi’s nonchalance of dribbling past defenders at will, Cristiano Ronaldo’s immaculate football sense, Steven Gerrard’s enginesque ability, Xavi’s vision to find the perfect pass or Ronaldinho’s dribbling brilliance as heart stopping moments, but this certain gentleman from France had it all written over him. Whether it comes to holding the ball against fearsome oppositions or dribbling past the best of defenders and scoring at will, Zizou had it all. The reflection of the odyssey of this exceptional footballer who could change any game with one touch of the ball or dazzle the world with his blessed feet was a spectacle which I was lucky enough to witness.

With critics questioning his spikey attitude on the pitch as he amassed up numerous red cards during his playing career, he always answered them back with his boots. For someone who has had such an illustrious career, surely this won’t be a dark blot beside his name.

His deft touches, unique ball retaining capabilities, the magical 360 degree turn which was branded Zizou’s roulette and an ever modest approach fuelled his desire to reach the pinnacles of glory many a time in his own “Zidane’s era”. Thus it’s not much of a surprise when he later said “I represent the street footballers with whom I had played in my childhood” after spearheading France to their glorious 1998 World Cup win over mighty Brazil in the finals. He also fired his nation to the Euros in 2000 and later in 2006 where he inexplicably headbutted Italian defender Marco Materrazi on the chest in the final after losing his calm.

In an era where we have envied Lionel Messi lifting four Ballon D’or trophies in four consecutive, it’s a shame that Zidane lifted the coveted trophy only once. Who would ever forget his magical strike in the 2002 Champions League final against Bayern Leverkusen when he volleyed a ball which was crossed from the left flank. The rest is history as they say. Now working as the Sporting Director of Real Madrid in the green pastures Santiago Bernabeu, I wonder whether we will ever see a better all round player than this Frenchman.

The meteoric rise following his move to bigger clubs across Europe like Juventus and Real Madrid was a spectacle for those who would swear by this maestro. The chip penalty against Italy, fooling arguably the then world’s best goalkeeper Buffon, would always be something I would try to imitate on the football field, only knowing I would never to hit something like that. The gorgeous age defying brilliance and the one-man show against Brazil in the quarter finals of Football’s greatest stage is something which still tops my list of favourite football videos on my mobile. Well, I could make a list long enough to last a lifetime. Those long nights in front of my television couldn’t be termed sleepless as I used to watch in awe, in admiration of this Algerian born Frenchman. An inspiration who showed us what the beautiful game was all about.

With an ever brilliant and immaculate technique and blessed with a God gifted talent, I fall short of words describing this man. Anyone who saw him play would agree with his name etched in golden words in Football’s greatest ever players. Zinedine Zidane was not any other great footballer; he was a phenomenon, a legend who tops the charts even after his reign at the pinnacle of World football.