[gazzad_5]

We said we would start the tribute thread after the final game he plays for Madrid. Well that has passed, so i thought now i have time on my hands i will start the ball rolling.
If you dont have anything appreciative to say im sure people would rather you do not post, this is not a 'is Zizou better than Ronaldinho?' thread.

So take this time to give your favourite goals, favourite Zidane moment in Madrid, and any personal experiences you may have of watching him live.

This thread will likely be the last time he gets discussed on our Forum.

-------------------------------------------------------------
Clubs
AS Cannes
Bordeaux
Juventus
Real Madrid

National Team
France

Honours
With the French national team:

FIFA World Cup
Winner: 1998
Appearances: 1998, 2002
European Championship
Winner: 2000
Appearances: 1996, 2000, 2004

With Juventus:

European Super Cup: 1996
Intercontinental Cup: 1996
Serie A champions: 1996/1997, 1997/1998
Italian Super Cup: 1997

With Real Madrid:

UEFA Champions League: 2001/2002
European Super Cup: 2002
Intercontinental Cup: 2002
Spanish League - La Liga champions: 2002/2003

Personal honours:

FIFA World Player of the Year: 1998, 2000, 2003
European Footballer of the Year (Ballon d'Or): 1998





-------------------------------------------------------------

My Favourite Goals in Madrid Colours

1) Vs Leverkusen (the famous left footed volley)- This goal was simply sublime. To win the CL by scoring it certainly puts this at number 1 for me.

2) Vs Espanyol (Beckham sprayed the ball, Zidane controlled beautifully, faked a shot, then smashed it in the top corner with his left) - This goal has added significance for me as i was there, watching him play, therfore i am biased with this one.

3) Vs Deportivo (Zizou faked a number of times, ripping the Depor defense into shreds, before blasting it into the net).

There are many other goals i can remember, but not who against. Like his left foot volley after a raking Beckham pass, or his right foot volley from a Ronaldo pass. Another i like is Vs Espanyol this season (another game i was at) where he chipped it up with his right and volleyed with his left.

My Personal Experience

I have seen him play live on 6 occasions, twice in training, 4 times in La Liga. Every single time was brilliant. To me the Control he has over the football is the best i have seen in my lifetime. The ease at which he drifts past opponents is made even more superb in real life.
I enjoyed watchin him live so much that i went to Madrid twice this season, the 2nd after realising it could be my last chance to see him play before he retires. I do feel priveleged to have watched him play live over the years, moments i will never forget.


As a final note i would like to just say thanks to Zizou for the wonderful time i have had watching him play these past seasons, and wish him the best for the World Cup, in what will be football fans' last chance to watch him play his stuff.
I am pleased to hear he will carry on at Madrid, although in what form i believe is still unknown, although working with children in some capacity seems to be favoured.
I hope he gets a testimonial/send off match at some point, either by Real or in France, i would make best effort to be there if it were to happen. Anybody have any idea if this will be the case?

Merci Zizou!

[Chinky24]

Look at Ballack's face lol.

I am a huge Zidane fan. Usually on these forums I end up defending Beckham or Ronaldo or Raul or Gravesen any point of the year, but I feel Zidane is one who truly ascends all this petty stuff, showing us what a true great is. I'm greatly disheartened by him leaving this summer. This era of Real is over, and a legend is gone. Hopefully one day he'll coach Real...

[Ronaldo:el phenomeno]

I am also a great fan of Zidane, even more than of Ronaldo's.
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/125176/zidanes_last_goal/

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/78062/zidane/

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/103811...er_leverkusen/

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/114848...oal_by_zidane/
truly magnificent goals.

Skills of Zidane.

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/118055/zidanes_trick/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYWgP...edine%20zidane

He will surely be missed.

[Ahmadi8]

With out a doubt this man will be remembered for many years to come. All I want to say is thank you for all that you have done for this club Zidane. We will miss you!!!!!!

[Ronaldo:el phenomeno]

Originally Posted by gazzad_5

We said we would start the tribute thread after the final game he plays for Madrid. Well that has passed, so i thought now i have time on my hands i will start the ball rolling.
If you dont have anything appreciative to say im sure people would rather you do not post, this is not a 'is Zizou better than Ronaldinho?' thread.

So take this time to give your favourite goals, favourite Zidane moment in Madrid, and any personal experiences you may have of watching him live.

This thread will likely be the last time he gets discussed on our Forum.

-------------------------------------------------------------
Clubs
AS Cannes
Bordeaux
Juventus
Real Madrid

National Team
France

Honours
With the French national team:

FIFA World Cup
Winner: 1998
Appearances: 1998, 2002
European Championship
Winner: 2000
Appearances: 1996, 2000, 2004

With Juventus:

European Super Cup: 1996
Intercontinental Cup: 1996
Serie A champions: 1996/1997, 1997/1998
Italian Super Cup: 1997

With Real Madrid:

UEFA Champions League: 2001/2002
European Super Cup: 2002
Intercontinental Cup: 2002
Spanish League - La Liga champions: 2002/2003

Personal honours:

FIFA World Player of the Year: 1998, 2000, 2003
European Footballer of the Year (Ballon d'Or): 1998





-------------------------------------------------------------

My Favourite Goals in Madrid Colours

1) Vs Leverkusen (the famous left footed volley)- This goal was simply sublime. To win the CL by scoring it certainly puts this at number 1 for me.

2) Vs Espanyol (Beckham sprayed the ball, Zidane controlled beautifully, faked a shot, then smashed it in the top corner with his left) - This goal has added significance for me as i was there, watching him play, therfore i am biased with this one.

3) Vs Deportivo (Zizou faked a number of times, ripping the Depor defense into shreds, before blasting it into the net).

There are many other goals i can remember, but not who against. Like his left foot volley after a raking Beckham pass, or his right foot volley from a Ronaldo pass. Another i like is Vs Espanyol this season (another game i was at) where he chipped it up with his right and volleyed with his left.

My Personal Experience

I have seen him play live on 6 occasions, twice in training, 4 times in La Liga. Every single time was brilliant. To me the Control he has over the football is the best i have seen in my lifetime. The ease at which he drifts past opponents is made even more superb in real life.
I enjoyed watchin him live so much that i went to Madrid twice this season, the 2nd after realising it could be my last chance to see him play before he retires. I do feel priveleged to have watched him play live over the years, moments i will never forget.


As a final note i would like to just say thanks to Zizou for the wonderful time i have had watching him play these past seasons, and wish him the best for the World Cup, in what will be football fans' last chance to watch him play his stuff.
I am pleased to hear he will carry on at Madrid, although in what form i believe is still unknown, although working with children in some capacity seems to be favoured.
I hope he gets a testimonial/send off match at some point, either by Real or in France, i would make best effort to be there if it were to happen. Anybody have any idea if this will be the case?

Merci Zizou!

great pictures and stats gazzad_5.

[gazzad_5]

Superb and long interview : http://www.realmadrid.com/articulo/rma31347.htm

these lines are the best, and show why such a tribute to Zizou is needed. His modesty is outstanding:

Interviewer-
Now you're amongst the top five players in football history. But it will be hard for you to admit it, because you've always been very humble... it's your essence.
Zizou-
I have my ideas regarding this issue and I don't share the same opinion. It's not true that I'm among the top five but everyone is entitled to have an opinion.

Who would those top five be, according to you?
Di Stéfano, Pele, Maradona, Cruyff… and then…

I say Zidane.
No, there's no debate about that.

The title is also great, '' I had never cried in a stadium... until I said goodbye to the Bernabéu''

LEGEND

[ninodelsol]

Gazzad_5 - I truly envy the fact you've been able to see him play live so many times. For me, I've only seen him once, last year when he came here to play Chivas from Mexico here in Chicago. He only played about a half and didn't do anything spectacular, but he had such grace with the ball that it didn't matter to me.

That volley vs. Leverkeusen in the CL was incredible and helped me convert non-football fans.

[ninodelsol]

Originally Posted by Ronaldo:el phenomeno

I am also a great fan of Zidane, even more than of Ronaldo's.
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/125176/zidanes_last_goal/

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/78062/zidane/

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/103811...er_leverkusen/

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/114848...oal_by_zidane/
truly magnificent goals.

Skills of Zidane.

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/118055/zidanes_trick/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYWgP...edine%20zidane

He will surely be missed.

Thanks for pointing to these. That last link is awesome. Love all the pirouette clips there.

[sl7vk]

A kid posted this one a couple of months ago. I really liked it, so I downloaded it... Now I've uploaded it for any of you to download. It's nice because it has a lot of clips that the others don't, including a dagger against England at the Euro. Good stuff and worth a couple of minutes wait to download.

http://rapidshare.de/files/21138183/...idane.wmv.html

[kakaboypuf redded]

Best player ever.