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Zinedine Zidane

(Zidane's parents were Muslims (who Follows Islam) but he himself has married a Christian dancer and has named his children after Christian football players. But due to his secrecy of religion and background we cannot confirm weather he is Muslim or not .So we are taking him of following his parents religion and he has also kept a Muslim name)

Zinedine Zidane was born June 23, 1972, in Marseille,France to a Algerian immigrant parents. Zidane got his start in football  at an early age, when he joined the US Saint-Henri club.
He moved on to Septemes Sports Olympiques after the coach convinced the director of the club to sign him. After leaving Septemes at the age of 14, Zidane participated in the first year junior selection for the league championship, the same year he was discovered.

He was called in for 3 days at the sport regional centre in Aix-en-Provence, where Jean Varraud, Cannes' recruiter, noticed the French/Algerian player. He ventured off to Cannes for what was intended to be a six-week stay, but remained even longer. Playing with professionals at the age of 16, it would only be a matter of time when he too would turn pro, and he knew he was on his way to realizing his dreams.

Showing the determination of an athlete who wants to exceed expectations, Zidane had played his first game in First Division at the age of 17, and it was from then that football went from an ambition to a passion. The Cannes midfielder scored his first goal on February 8th, 1991 (he received a Clio as a promise from the Cannes President, who promised him a car when he scored his first goal as a professional), and his first season with the club was marked by a qualification for the UEFA Cup.

But he could not prevent Cannes from being relegated at the end of the 1991/2 season. He responded by packing his bags and seeking a fresh challenge with Girondins de Bordeaux.
With Zidane in their ranks, Bordeaux were consistent contenders for the French championship, though his first major achievement came in the UEFA Cup at the end of the 1995/6 season, when Bordeaux reached the final before losing out to mighty Bayern Munich. By this time Zidane was already being compared to the legendary Michel Platini, a player he had watched at close range when he was a ball-boy at the UEFA European Championship 1984.

His dazzling entrance onto the international stage was a foretaste of greater things to come. He came on as a substitute against the Czech Republic with France trailing 2-0 and salvaged his side a draw, scoring two memorable goals.

But his real breakthrough with ""Les Bleus"" came in the 1995/6 European Championship season. National coach Aimé Jacquet placed his trust in Zidane because the midfielder had the two qualities Jacquet most admired in a footballer: brilliant ball-control and outstanding work-rate.After a series of consistently brilliant performances for both club and country, Zidane was swamped with offers to join Europe's top clubs in the spring of 1996. He eventually decided on a move to the Italian club Juventus during the close season.

His first success with Juventus came when he lead his Italian club to  UEFA Super Cup Championshion(1996), Intercontinental cup Championship,(1996).Next year and the coming years would prove even better for Zidane and his Club. Zidane lead his club to win Italian League(1997),SuperCup(1997),Italian League(1998). Zidane was now considered the best French Player in their international team.

The same year 1998, Football World Cup was held in France, French people’s exhilaration  was at all time high not only that the world cup was being held in France but because French people delighted to have a world classs player in their  team.

The World Cup kicked off,  Zidane was inform and  was leading France to victory over Victory ,then came the shock for all Frenchmen  when because of excellent performance by Zidane France reached the World Cup final. Then Came the moment when 
French society was changed forever date was July 19th, 1998. It was the championship game of the coveted World Cup tournament hosted by France. France was to face Brazil, a soccer giant that ignites respect and fear in all opponents. Brazil had won the previous world cup, held in the US, and had to its name the most number of titles, four. On that historic day, France was at a standstill, as was much of the world. Hundreds of millions of people tuned in to watch the much anticipated game; the expectation was that Brazil would once again dominate the world soccer scene and emerge as winners. World Cameras focused on the confident frown of one familiar player as he enagaged in pre-game warm ups on the pitch, "If France has any hope tonight" said one commentator, "this man is it". The man he spoke of and on which all eyes were focused was none other than Zinedine Zidane, already famous for his serene, graceful style of play, as well as his focus and determination. Zidane was looked to by all as France's potential savior.

Zidane came through, as all champions do when it matters most. He surprised spectators all over the world with not one, but two lethal headers into the Net in the first half that immediately put the team France 2-0 ahead of World Best Football Nation Brazil. Zidane's general performance in the game, indeed through the whole tournament, was inspirational and decisive. The game ended 3-0 after a last minute Emanuelle Petit goal. Not only had France won the world cup for the first time ever, but they had won it convincingly and in style. Their defensive and goal keeping record was the best ever of any world cup. The new comers had taught the Brazilian giants a lesson in football and launched a new era for French football. France was ecstatic, the nation was propelled into days and nights of wild, joyful celebrations, and at every point, no one forgot the man responsible, Zinedine Zidane. From that day on, Zidane never looked back as his star continued to shine ever-resplendent.

Zinedine Zidane was awarded  “World Footballer of the Year” for the year 1998 due to his performance in the World Cup. He was also awarded the Golden Ball Award.

He continued to blossom and win more Champion Ships for his club. He again became World Footballer of the year award in 2000.                                                                                                               In 2001, Zizou(nickname of Zidane) became the most expensive player in football history when Real Madrid acquired him for 46 million pounds (roughly $66 million US Dollars).

With Real Madrid were he joined world’s top player including Ronaldo,Figo, and now recently David Bekham .Real Madrid won Spanish Supercup UEFA Champions League ( 2002), UEFA Super Cup (2002), Intercontinental cup(2002) and Spanish League (2003).

And now in 2003 he has again been named as "Footballer of the year".

He is considered to be Best football player currently Playing.

After France were eliminated in the UEFA Euro 2004 quarterfinals by eventual winners Greece on 12 June 2004, Zidane retired from international football. With the mass retirement of veteran key players such as Bixente Lizarazu, Marcel Desailly and others, France struggled to qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. However, at the urging of coach Raymond Domenech, Zidane came out of retirement and was immediately reinstated as team captain. He made his competitive return in a 3-0 win over the Faroe Islands on 3 September 2005, as France went on to win their qualifying group.

On 27 May 2006, Zidane earned his hundredth cap for France in a 1-0 friendly win over Mexico, becoming France's fourth player ever to reach this milestone, after Marcel Desailly, Didier Deschamps and Lilian Thuram. He was substituted early in the second half^.

2006 World Cup

Zidane during the 2006 World Cup final.

After being suspended on yellow cards from the final match of the group stage, Zidane set up a goal for Patrick Vieira and scored one himself in the 91st minute of the second round match against Spain. As France held Brazil to just one shot on goal in the rematch of the 1998 final, Zidane's free kick led to Thierry Henry's deciding goal, sealing a 1-0 win. Zidane was named Man of the Match by FIFA. Before the final match, Zidane was awarded the Golden Ball as the best player of the competition.

Main article: 2006 FIFA World Cup Final

By scoring a 7th minute penalty in the final, Zidane became only the fourth player in World Cup history to score in two different finals, along with Pelé, Paul Breitner, and Vavá, in addition to being tied for first place with Vavá, Pelé and Geoff Hurst with three World Cup final goals apiece. Zidane was sent off in extra time after headbutting Marco Materazzi following verbal taunts from the Italian player, and so did not participate in the penalty shootout, which Italy won 5–3.He kept the Golden Ball award.

Post-retirement

On June 1, 2009, Zidane was announced as the Advisor to the President as Florentino Perez was named President of Real Madrid for the second timeCharity activities

Zidane during an appearance for the Danone Nations Cup.

In 2003, Zidane attended the Race Against Hunger organized by Action Against Hunger Spain (also known as Acción Contra el Hambre) held at the French Lyceum of Madrid. This event raised an estimated 25,000 Euros.

On 24 February 2007, before a crowd of 10,000 fans at a match in northern Thailand for the Keuydaroon children's AIDS charity, Zidane scored the first goal and set up the second for a Malaysian teammate as the match ended 2-2. The event raised 260,000 ($7,750). This money paid for the building of two schools and 16 three-bedroom houses.

On 19 November 2007, Zidane took part in the fifth annual Match Against Poverty in Málaga, Spain, which also ended in a 2-2 draw; he went scoreless but set up his team’s second goal. He and former Real Madrid teammate Ronaldo, who collaborated in conceiving the yearly event to benefit the United Nations Development Programme, regularly captain their respective teams consisting of active footballers, other professional athletes and celebrities. Zidane, a U.N. goodwill ambassador since 2001, stated before the game that “everyone can do something to make the world a better place.

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