Zizou
Zinedine Zidane, known to his teammates as Zizou, is the great world cup, european cup, champions league and italian and spanish league winner. A true master of football, Zizou has achieved everything in football. Taller than 6 feet, he has reached heights that most footballers can only dream of. Indeed, even the most popular or skilled footballers like Pele and Maradona can't boast of a career as successful as Zizou's.
With the silkiest of touches, Zidane could control the ball with any part of his body. During the Fifa Centenary Match between Brazil and France, there was a moment of brilliance which is etched in my memory forever. Ronaldinho whipped in a corner which was meant for Roberto Carlos, lurking just outside the penalty area about to launch one of his trademark rockets. Suddenly out of nowhere Zidane jumps higher than everyone, superbly controlling the fast moving ball with his chest. His touch was such that it took him away from three brazilians at once. His next touch, with his foot took him out of box. OHHH!! Just the instant when he controlled the ball, the way he plucked it out mid-air, with the grace of a ballerina... oh, it was perfection. The replay looked even more beautiful. His eyes fixed on the ball, all other players- French and Brazilian- watching the maestro with their jaws in hand. Simply awesome.
Another unforgettable moment was his fantastically perfect horizontal volley in the champions league final against Bayer Leverkusan.
He is perfection personified a football field. Bixente Lizarazzu, Zidane's french teammate, once said that,"When we don't know what to do with the ball, we give it to Zizou. He knows...."
And how well he knows. Completely at ease with the ball at his feet, Zidane plays at about half the pace at which others around him are playing. It is as if he knows 2 seconds in advance what is going to happen next. It reminds me of the movie The Matrix, where Neo can see bullets and dodge them. Something like that.
Whether it be freekicks, penalties, headers, powerful and accurate shots, godlike dribbling or a masterful first touch, Zidane has the full repoirteire.
As he stands on the brink of retirement, Zidane i'm sure couldn't have hoped for more. Yet, one cannot help but feel, do it once more, Zizou! Do it once more!
With the silkiest of touches, Zidane could control the ball with any part of his body. During the Fifa Centenary Match between Brazil and France, there was a moment of brilliance which is etched in my memory forever. Ronaldinho whipped in a corner which was meant for Roberto Carlos, lurking just outside the penalty area about to launch one of his trademark rockets. Suddenly out of nowhere Zidane jumps higher than everyone, superbly controlling the fast moving ball with his chest. His touch was such that it took him away from three brazilians at once. His next touch, with his foot took him out of box. OHHH!! Just the instant when he controlled the ball, the way he plucked it out mid-air, with the grace of a ballerina... oh, it was perfection. The replay looked even more beautiful. His eyes fixed on the ball, all other players- French and Brazilian- watching the maestro with their jaws in hand. Simply awesome.
Another unforgettable moment was his fantastically perfect horizontal volley in the champions league final against Bayer Leverkusan.
He is perfection personified a football field. Bixente Lizarazzu, Zidane's french teammate, once said that,"When we don't know what to do with the ball, we give it to Zizou. He knows...."
And how well he knows. Completely at ease with the ball at his feet, Zidane plays at about half the pace at which others around him are playing. It is as if he knows 2 seconds in advance what is going to happen next. It reminds me of the movie The Matrix, where Neo can see bullets and dodge them. Something like that.
Whether it be freekicks, penalties, headers, powerful and accurate shots, godlike dribbling or a masterful first touch, Zidane has the full repoirteire.
As he stands on the brink of retirement, Zidane i'm sure couldn't have hoped for more. Yet, one cannot help but feel, do it once more, Zizou! Do it once more!
posted by RA at
16:09
2 Comments:
great observations Mr.footballer....
amazing.....
i guess it wud be a heartbreak for many on his retirement....but i think it wud be a satisfactory retirement for him....
ENJOy....
-JC
People like Zizou make you stop and wonder...
I’m sure Zidane started playing for the love of this beautiful game. Then how come he is retiring??? How can he stop living football, loving football???
Quick as a flash, that ICICI advertisement comes to mind.
"Retire from work, not from Life"
Zidane's retirement is from professional football..
from all the money and fame and business..
from the world where players are treated like commodities, bought and sold for money.
His love for the beautiful game,.. im sure will continue.
we may lose a player, but we have gained a legend.
Zinedine Zidane, best of luck in all your future endeavors. It’s the least we can do for someone who has given us so much.
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