I joined this forum after reading through Vegan10's review of Alfredo Di Stéfano. I was very impressed with his collection of information, and I saw that he was inspired by Puck van Heel's review of Johan Cruijff. I have decided to create a similar review, but of a more contemporary player in Zinedine Zidane. Unfortunately, my French skills are limited and so are the resources on the internet when it comes to the sport. So this review is only from 1996-2006, where Zidane played for Juventus and Real Madrid. This will undoubtedly be a long-term project, considering how Zidane played 434 official matches for Juventus and Real Madrid from 1996-2006. My references will be La Stampa from 1996-2001, for Zidane's period at Juventus. Gazzetta only begin their archive from 1997, so when I reach that point I will use their articles as a supplement, if necessary. From 2001-2006, I will use the archives of ABC to detail Zidane's period at Real Madrid. And as a supplement, I will look to use other newspapers such as MD amongst others, if necessary. [IMPORTANT] My structure will be like this: [Pre-season discussion] -- [Notable friendly matches] -- [League matches] -- [Domestic Cup matches] -- [European Cup matches] -- [End of Season Review]. I will put relevant and interesting information in the build-up to matches if necessary. When each phase is complete, I will add it to the Table of Contents which will be in the next post. Pre-season discussion and friendly matches will be in a lump post, the individual league, cup and European matches will be posted separately for clarity. I will be able to make accurate translations and source all comments to their original articles. Cheers.
Table of Contents [incomplete] 1996-97 Pre-season Discussion 1996-97 Notable Club Friendlies 1996-97 Serie A 1996-97 Coppa Italia 1996-97 Champions League 1996-97 UEFA Super Cup 1996-97 Intercontinental Cup 1996-97 End-of-Season Review 1997-98 Pre-season Discussion 1997-98 Notable club friendlies 1997-98 Serie A
1996-97 : Pre-season Discussion Spoiler (Move your mouse to the spoiler area to reveal the content) Show Spoiler Hide Spoiler 8 May, 1996 http://www.archiviolastampa.it/comp...,30/articleid,0642_01_1996_0125_0030_8751440/ Zidane’s transfer to Juventus has been confirmed by Massimo Moratti, president of Inter Milan. Moratti was scouting Zidane for a period of time when the news broke. It is not the official transfer statement, but a rumour that is indeed true. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 31 May, 1996 http://www.archiviolastampa.it/comp...,30/articleid,0645_01_1996_0148_0036_8791410/ 24-year old Zidane has officially been transferred, from Bordeaux to Juventus, for the cost of 7.5 billion lire. Zidane says that he “always wanted to wear the shirt of Platini”. He agrees to a contract until 1999 for 900 million lire per season. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 24 June, 1996 http://www.archiviolastampa.it/comp...,32/articleid,0649_01_1996_0172_0032_8942909/ Juventus’ coach Marcello Lippi discusses a potential use for Zidane, and how he plans to set up his side. “I will play three strikers”, he says – referring to Boksic, Ravanelli, and Del Piero. Lippi says about Zidane: “I understand that Zidane can be used as a midfielder. He is not fast, but that doesn’t really matter. He is quick at moving the ball and bringing it to the forwards.” --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4 July, 1996 http://www.archiviolastampa.it/comp...,29/articleid,0650_01_1996_0182_0033_8963981/ Zidane talks about his performance at EC 1996. He insists that his performance at EC 1996 was an aberration and that it did not represent his ability. “I know my qualities and I will prove that they are stronger than they appeared in England [the country of EC 1996]”, he says. Zidane was in a car accident prior to EC 1996, which disrupted his personal preparation. Something very important to note is that Zidane mentions his fatigue more than once – he says “I came from an exhausting season [1995-96]”, playing 65 matches in the league and cups. This is important [in my opinion] to remember at the beginning of the 1996-97 season review, because Zidane says other interesting comments in hindsight. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 31 July, 1996 http://www.archiviolastampa.it/comp...29/articleid,0653_01_1996_0209_0029_14273506/ Lippi confirms the roles Zidane will have in the team. Lippi says that Zidane can be used as [1] a central midfielder with two box-to-box midfielders by his sides – in a 4-3-3 – or [2] a wide midfielder in a four-man midfield with two forwards. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20 August, 1996 http://www.archiviolastampa.it/comp...,27/articleid,0656_01_1996_0228_0029_8863965/ Zidane says he is still not fully fit – the season starts on September 8. He also states that he has never played in a team with such offensive ability, referring to the trio of Vialli, Ravanelli and Boksic. He mentions that not only does he have to take part in the build-up, but he would have to support the defence in the recovery of possession – something he stresses he is capable of, when fit. Here is a quick comparison of the three forwards: Technique, athletic ability, goal-scoring ability, experience, and charisma are the attributes being compared. In this comparison, Vialli [42.5] is the best, followed by Ravanelli [40] and Boksic [39.5]. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 27 August, 1996 http://www.archiviolastampa.it/comp...,29/articleid,0657_01_1996_0235_0029_8872980/ Lippi says that Zidane needs to lose weight, he is too slow. He lacks the “change of pace” – acceleration, I assume – and as of now, he is unsuitable to Italian football. Lippi says that he told Zidane to learn Italian quickly or he will not be able to communicate with his peers.
1996-97 : Notable Club Friendlies Spoiler (Move your mouse to the spoiler area to reveal the content) Show Spoiler Hide Spoiler 2 August, 1996 http://www.archiviolastampa.it/comp...31/articleid,0654_01_1996_0211_0033_14606356/ Juventus win a friendly match against an amateur side in Aosta, 11-1. This was Zidane’s first match for Juventus. It is a very brief report, stating that Zidane showed “flashes of class”. Zidane scored the second goal at 10’ – he dribbled onto his left side and scored in the bottom right corner from 20 yards. No rating or card information. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10 August, 1996 http://www.archiviolastampa.it/comp...25/articleid,0655_01_1996_0219_0027_14617153/ In a Champions League friendly rematch in La Coruna, Juventus destroy Ajax, 6-0. Ajax are dominated, with Juventus giving them a “lesson”. Zidane is still shy in his play, but he still played a strong part in the win, with two assists – Padovano’s goal [60’, 4-0] and Del Piero’s goal [84’, 5-0]. RATINGS Peruzzi [6.5]; Iuliano [6] – Ferrara [7] – Montero [7] – Pessotto [6.5]; Conte [6.5] – Zidane [7] – Deschamps [7]; Del Piero [7.5] – Boksic [6] – Padovano [8] Substitutes: Torricelli [n/a], Di Livio [6], Amoruso [6.5] No card information. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 22 August, 1996 http://www.archiviolastampa.it/comp...,31/articleid,0656_01_1996_0230_0031_8866447/ Juventus plays against Milan, for the Silvio Berlusconi Trophy. Zidane has a very poor performance. Apart from Antonio Conte who received a red card in the second half, Zidane was regarded as Juventus’ worst player. Desailly was victorious in his individual duel with Zidane – Zizou was “swept away”, completely unsettled by the fast pace of the match. He was guilty of idling with the ball and playing with an innate shyness. He was replaced in the 58’ by Jugovic. RATINGS Peruzzi [6.5]; Iuliano [6] – Ferrara [6] – Montero [6] – Pessotto [6]; Conte [4] – Zidane [5] – Tacchinardi [6]; Boksic [7] – Vieri [6] – Del Piero [7.5] Substitutes: Jugovic [6], Di Livio [4], Ametrano [n/a], Amoruso [n/a] Yellow cards: Tacchinardi, Ferrara Red card: Conte
I have made my first major update, with the 1996-97 pre-season discussion and 1996-97 notable club friendlies. I have put them in spoiler tags due to their length. The individual match reports will certainly not be that long; I do not think friendly matches are worthy of each having their own single post. Now, the dirty work begins.
1996-97 Serie A [Round 1] 8 September, 1996 Reggiana 1-1 Juventus Mapei Stadium: 17,302 spectators Referee: Stefano Farina Juventus draw the first match of the season against Reggiana. Juventus were very unlucky in this match to not win. Lippi says that Juventus created a sea of chances, whereas Reggiana scored from their only shot attempt. Juventus hit the crossbar two times. Boksic missed the best chance to win, and he was seen as a scapegoat -- Lippi was quick to his defence, saying that Vieri and Del Piero missed chances to score as well. Boksic assisted Vieri's goal in the 7th minute -- Zidane began the play, giving the ball to Boksic who centred the ball for Vieri to score without problem. In the 40th minute, Del Piero hit the post from a pass by Zidane. It is noted how Zidane is slow, but he knows how to play for the team and recovers many balls, like Paulo Sousa -- a former Juventus player. Lippi has nothing but praise for Zidane, saying how Zidane played a great game. However, he says that Del Piero did good, but must improve. Peruzzi was funnily given a "not applicable" rating. Why? He was not guilty for the conceded goal, but did absolutely nothing for the rest of the match, according to the report. RATINGS Peruzzi [n/a]; Torricelli [6] - Ferrara [6] - Montero [6.5] - Pessotto [6.5]; Jugovic [6.5] - Zidane [6.5] - Deschamps [6]; Boksic [6] - Vieri [6] - Del Piero [6.5] Substitutes: Tacchinardi [n/a], Di Livio [6], Amoruso [6] Yellow cards: Montero http://www.archiviolastampa.it/comp...d,0659_01_1996_0248_0029_13741225/anews,true/
Very good thread. It will be very valuable. @Estel is a great poster with much knowledge about Zidane eand I'm sure he will contribute here.
1996-97 Serie A [Round 2] 15 September, 1996 Juventus 2-1 Cagliari Stadio delle Alpi: 27,832 spectators Referee: Gennaro Borriello Juventus win their second match of the season against Cagliari. Juventus hit the crossbar two times like they did against Reggiana. Zidane was awful in this match, tied with Amoruso as the worst player for Juventus. Amoruso was preferred to Vieri for this encounter, and while Boksic-Del Piero-Amoruso connected well enough, it was expected for Zidane to show imagination and creativity in the final third. He didn't. Zidane was described to have a presence that was "so fluctuating, so anonymous". His individual rating was described as "A bad day. These things happen. He could not get himself into the game, let alone leave his mark on the team." He was removed at 45 minutes for Di Livio. The referee, Borriello, had a woeful performance. The critical point being a clear penalty denied for Cagliari, which could have made the score 2-2. Another incident was referred to for Juventus, but not as clear as the one for Cagliari. In another article, Zidane was described as "a portrait of a disapponting man". It was said that Zidane would alternate flashes of class to long pauses in the match where he would wander around, not getting into the heart of the game. Zidane has no excuses for his performance: "It was not my day, that seems clear. I was tired, my legs were weak, at this time three matches in a week is too much [Zidane played against Manchester United in the EC earlier in the week]. Lippi did the right thing by replacing me. I am the first to realise that I am not helping the team." RATINGS Peruzzi [6]; Porrini [6] - Ferrara [6.5] - Montero [6] - Pessotto [6]; Conte [7] - Zidane [5] - Deschamps [6]; Del Piero [7] - Boksic [7] - Amoruso [5] Substitutes: Di Livio [6.5] - Jugovic [n/a] - Iuliano [n/a] Yellow cards: Amoruso, Boksic http://www.archiviolastampa.it/comp...,27/articleid,0660_01_1996_0255_0027_8910300/ http://www.archiviolastampa.it/comp...,32/articleid,0660_01_1996_0256_0034_8911386/
I make sure to emphasise where Zidane says that he is playing too much. This is a sentiment that was not shared by the rest of the Juventus players, according to the media reports. I am sure you all know of the Juventus doping scandal during Lippi's first era. Juventus' scudetto from 1994-95 was referred to as the "Scudetto alla creatina", as a reference to their extensive use of creatine [amongst other pharmaceuticals]. Several of Juventus' players used performance-enhancing drugs in that time period -- I refer to the court documents in that case. Keep in mind that these are the first months of Zidane at Juventus. I am not 100% sure, but who knows if Zidane complains later on about too much playing time. He did so in July 1996 prior to playing for Juventus, and he was not fully fit in the 1996-97 pre-season. Just something to keep in mind.
Great project Bugs. From my side, depending on how the project goes and what pace you set, I can try and post videos/highlights of the matches or the Zidane vs Team compilations, wherever they are available online. Juventus vs Ajax 6-0 Friendly (Zidane is wearing no.8 and has an assist for Del Piero at 4:30) -
Juventus goal vs Reggina showing Zidane's pre-assist is right at the beginning of the video - Juventus 2-1 Cagliari (Zidane has the pre-assist for the first goal at 0:20) -
1996-97 Serie A [Round 3] 22 September, 1996 Perugia 1-2 Juventus Stadio Renato Curi: 12,114 spectators Referee: Cesari Juventus win their third match of the season against Perugia. Zidane gets sent off for two yellow cards, which ruins an otherwise decent performance. As it states in the report, Zidane did well until he was sent off in the 75th minute. A funny description about Zidane, where in front of the defenders Ferrara and Montero, Zidane covered the defence "like a veil of vanilla sugar [what?]". In the 2nd minute, Zidane took a free-kick from the left side of the field that hit the post. In the 48th minute, Zidane was presented with a good opportunity in front of goal but took too long to shoot. Again, there is controversy with the referee. A regular goal by Perugia was disallowed for "offside", and a penalty for Perugia was not given. Matrecano's red card for Perugia was described as "absurd" by his coach. Zidane says that his second yellow card was unfair. Lippi continues to defend Zidane, saying that Juventus struggled not only due to errors by Zidane, but by errors of the entire team. Zidane also says that compared to Ligue 1, the Serie A is more physical and more rigorous tactically. Lippi says Zidane will rest against Fiorentina. [He does] Edit: Zidane does not rest, he is suspended. I interpreted Lippi's comment wrong, forgetting that Zidane got a red card. RATINGS Peruzzi [7.5]; Porrini [6] - Ferrara [5.5] - Montero [6.5] - Pessotto [6]; Conte [5.5] - Zidane [5] - Deschamps [6]; Amoruso [5] - Boksic [6] - Del Piero [7] Substitutes: Torricelli [6.5], Jugovic [6], Padovano [7] Yellow cards: Ferrara, Montero, Boksic, Zidane x2 Red card: Zidane http://www.archiviolastampa.it/comp...d,0660_01_1996_0262_0029_13533601/anews,true/ http://www.archiviolastampa.it/comp...d,0660_01_1996_0262_0031_13533872/anews,true/ http://www.archiviolastampa.it/comp...,27/articleid,0661_01_1996_0263_0031_8921076/
Thank you, @Estel. I appreciate you listing the pre-assists and involvements Zidane has in the goals. It will be very helpful for the end-of-season review!
1996-97 Serie A [Round 5] 13 October, 1996 Vicenza 2-1 Juventus Stadio Romeo Menti: 12,353 spectators Referee: Boggi Juventus lose for the first time in Serie A. Juventus were missing several players, including Peruzzi, Conte, Del Piero, and Boksic. Juventus play a 4-4-2 for the first time this season, with Zidane's nominal position being "left midfield". Juventus hit the post twice, bringing their total tally this season to nine -- after five games! Juventus struggled a lot. The 4-4-2 did not work at all. Earlier that week, Zidane made a comment to the press about how he wanted to play more forward to replace Del Piero, as Del Piero was out. But Lippi changed the formation instead of accommodating the wishes of Zidane. The report states that Zidane teetered on the left and centre of midfield, "turning on and off" -- I assume that refers to him zoning out of the match like he was criticised of in previous matches. In the 46', Zidane took a corner which was deflected by Padovano onto Ferrara, who scored. It is stated that Zidane's touches of the ball were fantastic, but he was lacking elsewhere. More referee controversy, oddly. As per the report, two penalties for Vicenza were not given, whereas Juventus were not given one penalty. The referee was awarded a mark of 5; that was how poor he was. In another article, Zidane's form at the beginning of the season was described as "floating like a cork at the mercy of the waves". RATINGS Rampulla [6]; Porrini [5] - Ferrara [6.5] - Montero [5] - Pessotto [6]; Di Livio [6.5] - Deschamps [5.5] - Jugovic [7] - Zidane [5.5]; Padovano [6] - Amoruso [5] Substitutes: Torricelli [6], Tacchinardi [4], Vieri [5] Yellow cards: Jugovic, Zidane, Padovano Red card: Tacchinardi http://www.archiviolastampa.it/comp...id,0663_01_1996_0283_0031_8997486/anews,true/ http://www.archiviolastampa.it/comp...30/articleid,0662_01_1996_0272_0034_15479013/ http://www.archiviolastampa.it/comp...,27/articleid,0663_01_1996_0283_0029_8997472/
Juventus' first major match of the season in Serie A, against Inter Milan. In the match preview, the two French fantasisti -- Zidane, Djorkaeff -- could not be any different. Djorkaeff, Inter's new signing, was in great form. He was very talkative to the press. Zidane, Juve's new signing, was in poor form. Deschamps instructed him to stay away from the press, to "shut up and focus on the game". A quick comparison between Djorkaeff and Zidane: Character, technique, vision, goal-scoring, endurance, personality are the attributes on hand. Djorkaeff wins, surprisingly. It must be emphasised that this is a big match. There is no love lost between Juventus and Inter. At the time of the match, Inter were undefeated in Serie A. 1996-97 Serie A [Round 6] 20 October, 1996 Juventus 2-0 Inter Milan Stadio delle Alpi: 28,065 spectators Referee: Braschi Juventus win "round one" convincingly. The match was described as a "one-sided encounter", obviously in favour of Juve. A great performance from all Juve players, with [you guessed it...] Zidane being the standout player. Weeks of bad form and media criticism, with people thinking Djorkaeff was better than him -- what does he do? Silences the doubters. Juve hit the post twice in this match, bringing the total to 11 strikes against woodwork in 6 matches! Truly a mind-boggling statistic. Zidane scored in the match, his first official goal for Juventus. He dedicated the goal to friends and family. Zidane said that this was his best performance yet for Juve, and that it was a beautiful moment. Lippi, again, has nothing but praise for Zidane, as he says "the only thing missing was goal-scoring, to enhance his skill-set. I never had any doubts about his quality". Inter were awful. Their offside-trap was described as a "comedy of errors". Branca and Zamorano did know "whether if they were at the theatre or playing a football match". Harsh words from a Turin-based paper, it must be said. Here are some individual highlights from Zidane: - Great dribbling, creates a good chance for Boksic that was wasted - Amazing play to create a clear chance for Boksic that was wasted - Superb left-footed goal from outside the box In conclusion, a world-class performance from Zidane. In the duel of two French playmakers, Zidane was victorious. You can see where he gets the "big-game player" reputation. RATINGS Peruzzi [7]; Torricelli [7] - Ferrara [7] - Montero [7] - Pessotto [7]; Di Livio [7] - Zidane [7.5] - Deschamps [7.5] - Jugovic [7.5]; Boksic [7] - Padovano [7] Substitutes: Iuliano [n/a], Ametrano [n/a], Vieri [n/a] Yellow card: Deschamps http://www.archiviolastampa.it/comp...,30/articleid,0664_01_1996_0287_0038_9002943/ http://www.archiviolastampa.it/comp...,31/articleid,0664_01_1996_0289_0039_9006591/http://www.archiviolastampa.it/comp...,31/articleid,0664_01_1996_0289_0039_9006592/ http://www.archiviolastampa.it/comp...id,0664_01_1996_0290_0030_9008378/anews,true/
Thanks Lucas. And btw, I think the 97/98 Juventus 2x2 Fiorentina - Copa da Italia goal wasn't a freekick . Seems Batistuta scored on a freekick in that game so maybe that created a confusion in the match report. In any case, I don't have a confirmation on it, so I didn't post it in your top player's freekicks thread. Will do when I do get it. You're welcome. Its a great project in any case i.e. with or without me posting the vids. Anyway, back to the vids, Zidane was expelled before the goals in the game vs Perugia, however, the Padovano and Del Piero goals begin at 0:20 in this earlier posted vid. youtube.com/watch?v=gRAe3GEkyLE In this same vid, at 0:48, the only goal against Vicenza can be seen (Zidane pre-assist from corner)
Great summary overall Bugs, and nice of you to link to the vid as well. Also, it is important to note I feel, that Del Piero was not available for Juve in this match.
I will look to get possibly three, four reports done now. They will be more brief in comparison to the last one [which was 430 words]. On average my reports are 321 words long, will look to cut them down to about 250. This means that some information not directly related to the match will be left out [e.g. the preview for the Juve-Inter match] and things that are not related to Zidane at all when it comes to the match report.
1996-97 Serie A [Round 7] 27 October, 1996 Roma 1-1 Juventus Stadio Olimpico: 38,816 spectators Referee: Bazzoli Juventus were on pace for a win until a 93' Delvecchio goal spoiled the day. It continued the trend of Juve not winning at the Olimpico for 6 years. It was a relatively average day for almost every Juve player except Peruzzi and Zidane. Juve dominated the match -- Delvecchio's late equaliser was described as "the joke that could cost first place in the standings". Boksic assisted Padovano's goal in the 59' to make the score 1-0. Zidane was outstanding in this match: the report states that the form of Zidane has improved since the change to a 4-4-2, with Zidane on the left side of midfield. Zidane is free to create and is not restricted by a central position on the pitch when played as a left midfielder in a 4-4-2. Zidane's individual rating describes him as growing "leaps and bounds", and that he was the man of the match, just like against Inter. Del Piero was a late substitute in this match -- I assume that as he is the "talisman" of Juve, once he returns to the starting eleven, they will return to 4-3-3. This is only an educated guess. Edit: Another article after the match talks about Zidane in Del Piero's absence. In Del Piero's absence, Zidane finally rose from anonymity to become an "irreplaceable player" for Juve. Lippi already announced that with Del Piero's return, a return to the 4-3-3 will indeed happen [my educated guess was correct]. Interestingly enough, the article states a "random fact": Zidane is better without Del Piero. No one will admit to it, but it is not a coincidence that Zidane has played much better without Del Piero. RATINGS Peruzzi [7.5]; Torricelli [6.5] - Ferrara [5.5] - Montero [6.5] - Pessotto [6]; Di Livio [7] - Zidane [7.5] - Deschamps [5.5] - Jugovic [6.5]; Boksic [6] - Padovano [6.5] Substitutes: Iuliano [n/a], Del Piero [n/a] Yellow card: Ferrara http://www.archiviolastampa.it/comp...,29/articleid,0665_01_1996_0296_0035_9021165/ http://www.archiviolastampa.it/comp...,29/articleid,0665_01_1996_0296_0035_9021165/ http://www.archiviolastampa.it/comp...,28/articleid,0665_01_1996_0298_0030_9023528/
1996-97 Serie A [Round 8] 3 November, 1996 Juventus 1-1 Napoli Stadio delle Alpi: 28,178 spectators Referee: Pellegrino Very underwhelming performance from Juve on this day. Napoli played strong defensively, the report stated Juve were "squashed like an unrecogniseable jelly against the intelligent wall prepared by Simoni [Napoli coach]". Napoli played a strict marking system: Colonna marking Padovano, Baldini marking Boksic, Crasson on Del Piero, and Ayala as the spare man. It was a poor performance overall from every Juve player, including Zidane. His goal does not excuse an otherwise average performance, as per the report. His goal was an opportunistic one, due to a goalkeeper error from a set piece; but it was a brilliantly taken volley. Video of the goal (Click Here). After the goal, the crowd at the delle Alpi serenaded Zidane with a chant they used for Platini. RATINGS Peruzzi [6.5]; Torricelli [5] - Ferrara [6] - Montero [5] - Di Livio [6]; Jugovic [5] - Deschamps [6] - Zidane [6]; Del Piero [5.5] - Boksic [5] - Padovano [5.5] Substitutes: Lombardo [5.5], Porrini [6], Amoruso [5.5] Yellow cards: Ferrara, Del Piero, Deschamps, Montero http://www.archiviolastampa.it/comp...,27/articleid,0666_01_1996_0304_0027_9037253/
1996-97 Serie A [Round 9] 17 November, 1996 Juventus 0-0 Milan Stadio delle Alpi: 28,718 spectators Referee: Collina Quite simply, a goalkeeping masterclass. I refer to the subheadline, which states "[A] show from Peruzzi and Rossi". Juve hit the post in this match; that was the closest any team got to a goal. Zidane never got into the full flow of the match. He was initially promising, but it faded out throughout the match and he was guilty of idling on the ball too much. According to the report, his over-use of the ball "shook Lippi". Zidane kept slowing the play down, trying to bring the match to his own speed but he did not excel at this. Lippi was criticised for leaving Del Piero on the bench, substituting him on for Zidane in the 85th minute. Lippi said that Juventus will not play with three strikers and Zidane anymore. Instead, it will be two strikers and Zidane, for balance. Lippi says that Juve cannot afford to play three strikers, Zidane, and Di Livio. I believe this is the beginning of Zidane playing as a trequartista in the 4-3-1-2. I could be wrong -- again, this is just an educated guess. RATINGS Peruzzi [7.5]; Torricelli [6.5] - Tacchinardi [6.5] - Porrini [6] - Iuliano [5.5]; Di Livio [7] - Zidane [6] - Deschamps [6.5] - Jugovic [6]; Boksic [6.5] - Vieri [5] Substitutes: Del Piero [n/a], Padovano [5.5] Yellow cards: Iuliano, Zidane, Jugovic http://www.archiviolastampa.it/comp...d,0668_01_1996_0318_0030_14206766/anews,true/ http://www.archiviolastampa.it/comp...,28/articleid,0668_01_1996_0318_0030_9063111/ http://www.archiviolastampa.it/comp...,27/articleid,0668_01_1996_0319_0031_9063781/
Goal from Padovano vs Roma can be seen at 1:25 in the video posted earlier with link as mentioned below - youtube.com/watch?v=gRAe3GEkyLE Assist is from Boksic for the goal but video does not confirm who the pre-assist (if at all) is from. Vid for match highlights vs Napoli is already shared by Bugs. Vid of match highlights of Juve vs Milan is posted below (Good chance on a first time volley mishit by Zidane at 0:52, good ball for Boksic to dribble & shoot wide at 1:51 and a chance for a possible pre-assist at 2:06 can be seen)
Interesting thread BB, I suspect we will see quite a few of the "had a bad game" or "was not his day" or "was not great but not bad either" type performances by Zidane. Also, the part that says "it is noted how Zidane is slow, but he knows how to play for the team and recovers many balls, like Paulo Sousa -- a former Juventus player." In my opinion that's one of the aspects of Zidane's game that is very readily ignored. People talk about Zidane's "longevity" and his longevity had a lot to do with the fact that, unlike players like Ronaldinho, Zidane did covered a lot of ground, so when he was past his prime it wasn't as apparent as a player like Ronaldinho -- when Ronaldinho lost his pace, all of a sudden people realized just how lazy Dinho was from a tactical view point; with Zidane, it was less apparent because Zizou always covered a lot of ground, which a lazy player cannot really do. I also think that Zidane being "slow" is ridiculous. Zidane in his Juventus years and in his first two Real Madrid, I don't see anything "slow" about him. Sure, he wasn't as fast as a Pavel Nedved, but he wasn't slow either, he was comfortably faster than either Xavi or Iniesta, for example.