Nearly twenty years after hanging up his boots, Zinedine Zidane enthralled fans at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday by rolling back the years during a charity match.
Following the World Cup in Germany, the iconic Ballon d’Or winner and World Cup winner retired soon after turning 34. He was notoriously sent off in his final professional game for aggressively headbutting Italy center-back Marco Materazzi in the chest.
Zidane was considered by many to be the best midfield player of his generation and among the greatest football players of all time before that unexpected end to his career.
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The France star’s legendary control and grace with the ball, along with his flare for the spectacular in pivotal moments (such as his headed brace in the 1998 World Cup final and his magnificent volley that won Real Madrid the 2002 UEFA Champions League), made him a genuinely unique player.
And astonishingly, Zidane appears to have retained every bit of his class on the ball even after retiring from competition eighteen years ago.
Zidane was in incredible form as he played for a Real Madrid Legends team versus a Porto Legends team on Saturday at the Santiago Bernabeu. Zidane’s teammates were Raul, Luis Figo, and Roberto Carlos.
Zidane drew attention with several superb touches and flicks in the middle of the park, and he easily slipped by his teammates throughout the game, even though his team would lose.
The legendary French football player has been heavily linked to a return to management in recent months, in addition to participating in charity matches.
Zidane acknowledged at a recent event that, given his connections to his previous team, Juventus, he would be especially open to managing in Italy.
“Everything is possible. One day, I hope to be a coach in Italy,” he remarked.
“Although I don’t now coach, why not? I enjoy Italy and the fact that football is so popular there.
