Zidane

Melion

Robbed from irishkop.com but it had to be shared. You really do forget just how good he was, should definitely be remembered up there with Maradona and Pele instead of just for one headbutt.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYrWxb7UMVo

Leiva

Personally my favorite player ever .

massdebater

Class class player.

I think I actually liked him a little bit more after the headbutt too. What a cool way to bow out

Xavi6

Best player I've ever seen.

So graceful for a big bloke and could score absolute belters off both sides. The complete player for me.

Johner

Goosebumps watching that video!One of the greatest to play the game and one of my favourite players as well, who cares about the heatbutt(Materazzi maybe:p) he is an absolute legend of the game.

Melion

The control at 2.20 is one of the best first touches ive ever seen

Neil3030

Never proved it at the top level though. How many times did he play on a cold Wednesday night in Stoke?

Gillington

The man was quality and probably my favourite ever player.The film that was brought out after the World Cup is a must watch if you havent seen it

Dolph Starbeam

Easily my favourite ever player, his control was amazing and his style was so unique, what a genius.

SantryRed

World Cup 2006. He literally pulled a shambolic French side to a penalty shoot out away from winning it. Unreal.

Neil3030

Surprisingly good touch for a big man, you might say :pac:

fillmore jive

My cousin was telling me about when he went on holidays with his girlfriend to Turkey. They were out in an Irish pub one night and they were sitting beside this French lad. Now my cousin wouldn't know much about football but he later found out that it was Zidane. He said he was as sound as a pound, really funny lad and buying loads of people drinks all night. That jammy fcuker wouldn't know a football if it hit him in the face and he still meets Zidane!

Agus

SantryRed wrote: »

World Cup 2006. He literally pulled a shambolic French side to a penalty shoot out away from winning it. Unreal.

Literally pulled? :pac:

SlickRic

a genius.

he wasn't always the most consistent, and sometimes flitted on the edge of games, especially during league campaigns during his Juventus days.

but that's being very harsh on him.

a wonderful player, a gift from the gods, and will always be remembered by me for that one-man show against Brazil in the World Cup '06 QF.

quite simply, along side Roy Keane's performance against the Dutch (albeit very different!), the best individual performance I've seen in my life.

GavRedKing

My personal favourite player of all time.

His touch, vision, close control, ability off either foot, balance, were all out of the top drawer.

The 06 QF v Brazil, Zidane gave a master class, I remember the build up when a few pundits had tipped Kaka to possibily eclipse Zidane in steal the show as he was seen to be Zidane's natural replacement. we all know what happened in that game.

It would have been the best possibile end to a career had France gone onto win the Final but it wasnt to be.

Still, my personal favourite player of all time and he should be rightly remembered with Pele, Maradona, Cruyff, Ronaldo.

Genius.

Bodhisopha

Great player but Platini was better.

Blatter

Also my favorite player ever.

Always remember for those nights in Paris and Glasgow.

A man for the big occasion who rarely dissapointed.

TheDoc

As stated above, the WC semi final against Brazil rings true as the greatest performance I've seen by a player.

My favourite player alongside Dennis Bergkamp. As I said in the Messi thread, the art of the midfielder just died when he retired, running through the top teams in the world I can't think of a player that comes near him in anyway shape or form.

I have to say I do rate Paul Scholes very highly, and when he retires midfields will just be battering rams with no ability.

And am I mistaken in saying that he came out of retirement for that world cup or am I wrong in remembering that? I'm pretty sure the reason

I just remember it so vividly was that he came out of international retirement by request to lead France, dragged them into the final by the scuff of the neck then walked by the World Cup down the tunnel.

Or have I just romantisced that way to much ?

When I sit back though as a football viewer who really started watching ball from the early 90's only, I've seen some tremendous players on the telly, but I find it hard to pick one I rate higher then Zidane...

Dolph Starbeam

Blackburn Rovers Chairman Jack Walker reportedly said to Dalglish: "Why do you want to sign Zidane when we have Tim Sherwood?"


Always makes me laugh.

joe123

Brilliant player and still not quite sure why he isn't mentioned alongside the greats. Ronaldinho is personally the best player I have ever seen though.

Ardent

He was class throughout WC98 and EC2000, completely on another level to any other player in those tournaments.

TheDoc

joe123 wrote: »

Brilliant player and still not quite sure why he isn't mentioned alongside the greats. Ronaldinho is personally the best player I have ever seen though.

Ronaldhinos excess and stereotypical Brazillian decline just shunts him out of the tops for me.

A loss of fire and drive to relax on royalties etc just dropped him out of the alltime greats for me, pity, unbelieveably ability, and was the starting point for the Barcelona we all love today

Twin-go

He was good alright but, he is no Kevin Kilbane!!

~Rebel~

Zidane.

Mikeyt086

This thread.

nullzero

He stood out in an era of quite a few brliiant players.
I miss watching him these days, I was sick after what happened in the 2006 world cup final. He set the tournament alight with some amazing displays, and the least convincing team of the tournament won the bloody thing.

yabadabado

TheDoc wrote: »

And am I mistaken in saying that he came out of retirement for that world cup or am I wrong in remembering that? I'm pretty sure the reason

I just remember it so vividly was that he came out of international retirement by request to lead France, dragged them into the final by the scuff of the neck then walked by the World Cup down the tunnel.

Or have I just romantisced that way to much ?

he came out of retirement during the qualifiers,I think 2 other players did aswel.Thuram was one of them.

Blatter

he came out of retirement during the qualifiers,I think 2 other players did aswel.Thuram was one of them.

Makelele.

Zizou played against in the second game in Dublin when Henry scored a pearl. Zidane had a great free kick saved by given.

I think he was retired for the 0-0 in Paris before hand.

James Forde

Hero absolute hero.

There was a program on TG4 a few months ago titled "Zinedine Zidane The last match" brilliant program I would recommend anyone who hasn't seen it to have a search for it.

partyndbs

TheDoc wrote: »

As stated above, the WC semi final against Brazil rings true as the greatest performance I've seen by a player.

My favourite player alongside Dennis Bergkamp. As I said in the Messi thread, the art of the midfielder just died when he retired, running through the top teams in the world I can't think of a player that comes near him in anyway shape or form.

I have to say I do rate Paul Scholes very highly, and when he retires midfields will just be battering rams with no ability.

And am I mistaken in saying that he came out of retirement for that world cup or am I wrong in remembering that? I'm pretty sure the reason

I just remember it so vividly was that he came out of international retirement by request to lead France, dragged them into the final by the scuff of the neck then walked by the World Cup down the tunnel.

Or have I just romantisced that way to much ?

When I sit back though as a football viewer who really started watching ball from the early 90's only, I've seen some tremendous players on the telly, but I find it hard to pick one I rate higher then Zidane...

watch more football

James Forde

partyndbs wrote: »

watch more football

why should he?

Dolph Starbeam

bryanjf wrote: »

why should he?

I have to say I do rate Paul Scholes very highly, and when he retires midfields will just be battering rams with no ability.

If thats really what he thinks then he isn't watching enough.

James Forde

why? because he rates Paul Scholes?

partyndbs

no because scholes isnt the last of technical midfielders.

James Forde

partyndbs wrote: »

no because scholes isnt the last of technical midfielders.

Fair point

Dolph Starbeam

No because he says that when Scholes retires midfields will become battering rams, there are still a lot of very good ball playing midfielders all over europe.

parker kent

Mark! wrote: »

No because he says that when Scholes retires midfields will become battering rams, there are still a lot of very good ball playing midfielders all over europe.

That and forgetting that Zidane came back to ensure France qualified for the World Cup when they were in Ireland's group! So Zidane and the Musketeers that returned alongside him cost us. Damn you Zizou :pac:

eZe^

Best of all time.

partyndbs

did he ever win la liga i cant remember

eZe^

partyndbs wrote: »

did he ever win la liga i cant remember

Yes! Once.

ctrl-alt-delete

Mark! wrote: »

Blackburn Rovers Chairman Jack Walker reportedly said to Dalglish: "Why do you want to sign Zidane when we have Tim Sherwood?"


Always makes me laugh.

Yeah, don't think that he would have come, but Kenny wanted to try and bring Zidane and Dugarry to Blackburn from Bordeaux....

Oh what could have been

eZe^

ctrl-alt-delete wrote: »

Yeah, don't think that he would have come, but Kenny wanted to try and bring Zidane and Dugarry to Blackburn from Bordeaux....

Oh what could have been

Woulda been gutted tbh, Zidane needed to be playing the best league in the world at the time, Juventus was the perfect fit. If he went to the EPL he probably would have been remembered like Bergkamp.

James Forde

eZe^ wrote: »

Woulda been gutted tbh, Zidane needed to be playing the best league in the world at the time, Juventus was the perfect fit. If he went to the EPL he probably would have been remembered like Bergkamp.

Ferguson reportedly wanted to sign him but Cantona advised him against it apparently.

For shame

bonerm

nullzero wrote: »

He stood out in an era of quite a few brliiant players.
I miss watching him these days, I was sick after what happened in the 2006 world cup final. He set the tournament alight with some amazing displays, and the least convincing team of the tournament won the bloody thing.

Kinda funny to think that had he stayed retired Ireland in all liklihood would have won the group and gone to WC2006. We'd have got a nice summer holiday in Germany and Zidane's career would still be untarnished.

But then we wouldn't have got this ....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIf07gQAbGM

.. so prob worth it. (yep, it's that tune again).

The last few months i have been wondering how did i get so into football. that video goes a long long way to explaining it.

There is a scene in 'Zizou - The last game' where they are showing Kids playing football in Zidane's old neighborhood in Marseille. Who is one of the kids? None other then a young Samir Nasri.

Xavi6

Still got it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QKHM3KPjtk

MaceFace

Lucky enough to see Zidane in his prime.
I always knew I was watching one of the best players the world has ever seen, and only other time I have felt that since was when I watch Messi.

Unfortunately, I was still in my early teens when Maradona was really at his peak and it was almost impossible to appreciate his skill because by the time I was old enough to appreciate him (with the limited opportunities of watching football before Sky), he was a bit psycho with the drugs.

He was head and shoulder above anything the Premier League has ever seen.

Pinturicchio

He played for Juventus last night. :P

Xavi6

Is that Christian Vieri?! :eek:

bennyc

I was seated between the Germans and Spanish for the Champions League Final in Galsgow. When he scored the goal the entire place went silent for a split second then the entire crowd rose to their feet the German fans were clapping and shaking thier heads smiling as much as anyone else. One German beside us even started handing out Cigars !!! Best football moment of my life and I dont think it will be topped somehow.

Mr. Presentable

Xavi6 wrote: »

Is that Christian Vieri?! :eek:

Yes. Turin veterans derby played for charity.