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Born to Algerian parents, Zinedine took to football immediately and it soon became clear that he was destined for something great. Brought up in the notorious and tough neighbourhood of Castellane it is said that Zinedine got the mental toughness to bear and handle the stress of first class football. After spending a year and a half at US Saint-Henri, Zidane joined SO Septèmes-les-Vallons. Zidane stayed with Septèmes until the age of fourteen, during which he was selected to attend a three-day training camp at the CREPS (Regional Centre for Sports and Physical Education), one of several such footballing institutes run by the French Football Federation. It was here that Zidane was spotted by AS Cannes scout, and former player, Jean Varraud who recommended him to the training centre director of the club. In 1998, Zidane was named FIFA World Player of the Year, and won the Ballon d'Or. In 2001, Zidane was named Serie A Foreign Footballer of the Year for the second time.

Zidane went to AS Cannes for a six-week stay, but ended up remaining at the club for four years to play at the professional level. In 2001, Zidane joined Real Madrid for a world record fee of 150 billion Italian lire.(about €75 million) and signed a four-year contract. Since his retirement, Zidane has regularly played for the Real Madrid Veterans team. At club level, Zidane won the La Liga title and the UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid, two Serie A league championships with Juventus and an Intercontinental Cup and a UEFA Super Cup each with both aforementioned sides. His 2001 transfer from Juventus to Real Madrid set a world record fee of an equivalent Euro 75 million.

On the international stage with France, Zidane won the 1998 FIFA World Cup, scoring twice in the final, and UEFA Euro 2000 where he was named Player of the Tournament. The World Cup triumph made him a national hero in France, and he received the Legion d'honneur in 1998. Zidane has won the FIFA World Player of the Year three times, a feat achieved only by Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, and the Ballon d'Or once. He was Ligue 1 Player of the Year in 1996, Serie A Footballer of the Year in 2001 and La Liga Best Foreign Player in 2002. Zidane received the Golden Ball for player of the tournament at the 2006 World Cup. Prior to the World Cup, he announced he would retire at the end of the tournament.

At the age of 17, Zidane met his future wife, Veronique Fernandez while playing for Cannes in the 1988 89 season. Married in 1994, they have four sons: Enzo Alan Zidane Fernandez (born 24 March 1995), Luca Zinedine Zidane Fernandez (born 13 May 1998),Theo Zidane Fernandez (born 18 May 2002), and Elyaz Zidane Fernandez (born 26 December 2005). Enzo, Luca, Theo and Elyaz are all members of the Real Madrid Academy. Zidane has described himself as “a non-practicing Muslim.” He was voted one of the “Top 10 Greatest Muslim Athletes of All Time”.


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