Lassana Diarra (born 10 March 1985 in Paris, France) is a French footballer who currently plays for La Liga club Real Madrid and the France national team. His predominant position is defensive midfielder but he can also play in a more advanced role and has played at right back, which he did for both his former club Chelsea and for the national team.[1]

In Spain, he is known as Lass to distinguish him from Real Madrid teammate Mahamadou Diarra, to whom he is not related.

Club career

Early career

Diarra was turned down by several football clubs as a youngster. FC Nantes deemed him too "small and lightweight" to succeed [2] at 170 cm and 58 kg (5'7" and 9 stone). Diarra admitted he thought his "football career was over".[2] His next stop was Le Mans UC, where Diarra claimed they "didn't seem to care" about him.[2]

Le Havre

Diarra's footballing career finally began at Le Havre, a French football team currently in the Second Division. Outstanding in his defensive midfield role, his reputation started to grow and impressive performances saw his selection to the French U-21 squad. Along with the reputation came interest from other clubs, and Chelsea became potential suitors. With Chelsea's Claude Makélélé not getting any younger, Chelsea's wide network of scouts tagged Diarra as the "new Makélélé" and the club promptly paid £1 million for his services in July 2005.[3]

Chelsea

Diarra was in Chelsea's first team squad in the 2005-06 season, but did not get much first team football. His Chelsea debut came in the UEFA Champions League in October 2005, when he was given a brief run out as a substitute when Chelsea were 4-0 up against Real Betis. However, he was not expecting to come straight into the side. Learning from Makélélé, a master of his position, Diarra improved throughout the season, showing impressively when playing for the reserve team. He played well against Huddersfield Town in the FA Cup third round, winning rave reviews from both managers, teammates, and media sources. He became a bit part player in Chelsea's first team and also completed the full 90 minutes in Chelsea's last two games of the season at Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United, as manager José Mourinho rotated his squad.

Diarra was named Chelsea's young player of the season for 2005–06. Due to Chelsea's defensive injury setbacks during the 2006–07 season, he was often asked to play at right-back. He played full Premiership games against Blackburn Rovers, Charlton Athletic, and Middlesbrough, with some success, and also started in Chelsea's win over Arsenal in the League Cup Final at the Millennium Stadium. On 29 July, reports surfaced suggesting he could be on his way to Arsenal in pursuit of first-team football.[4] His contract with Chelsea was due to expire in January 2008, and having made no move to extend it, Chelsea sold him to Arsenal on 31 August 2007, before he could leave on a free transfer.[5]

Arsenal

On 31 August 2007, transfer deadline day, Diarra signed for Arsenal for an undisclosed fee.[6] He was given the number 8 shirt, vacated by the departure of winger Freddie Ljungberg. On his move across London, he cited Gunners manager Arsène Wenger as one of the main reasons for joining the club, along with the style of football played by Arsenal. Wenger had called the young Frenchman a "multi-functional player", and a good addition to the squad.[7]

Diarra made his Arsenal debut as a late substitute in the home leg of the 2007–08 Champions League group stage match against Sevilla, and his full debut against Newcastle United in the third round of the League Cup. Diarra started his first Premier League match for Arsenal against Aston Villa.

With the emergence of defensive midfielder Mathieu Flamini in the Arsenal side, Diarra saw only limited action in the early months of the season. Having expressed concerns that he was not playing enough first team football [8], Diarra signed for Portsmouth in January 2008 after only 5 months at Arsenal for an undisclosed fee believed to be around £5.5 million.[9]

Portsmouth

Diarra signed for Portsmouth on 17 January 2008.[10][11] He was given his first start against Derby County,[12] contributing to a 3-1 win at Fratton Park. He scored his first goal for the club in the following match, against FA Cup Fourth Round Championship opponents Plymouth Argyle,[13] and his first Premier League goal two weeks later, a late winner against Bolton Wanderers.[14] Diarra went on to play in every minute of Portsmouth's remaining FA Cup matches FA Cup 2007-2008 en route to claiming the trophy in the final.[15][16][17][18] He topped the season by being included in the France squad for Euro 2008; this and the FA Cup win arguably vindicated his decision to part company with Arsenal, Diarra himself saying that it had "more than justified my decision."[19] He played in the 2008 Community Shield against Manchester United, missing in the penalty shoot out which was won by United. On September 18, 2008 he scored Pompey's first ever goal in a major European competition against Vitória Guimaraes,[20] his third and final goal for the club. The first red card of Diarra's Premiership career came on 28 September 2008 when he was booked twice against Tottenham Hotspur at Fratton Park. In mid December 2008, Portsmouth agreed a fee with Real Madrid subject to medical that he would join them on 1 January 2009 for a fee of around €20 million (£18.88 million).[21]

Real Madrid

Portsmouth announced on 17 December 2008 that they had accepted a "substantial" offer from Real Madrid for Diarra's services[21] and £20 million transfer was agreed five days later.[22] He was assigned the number 6 shirt of Mahamadou Diarra for domestic competitions as the Malian midfielder was out with a season-ending injury and the vacant number 39 for the Champions League. He wears the name Lass on the back of his shirt to avoid confusion with Mahamadou. His transfer was officially completed on 1 January 2009, the opening of the transfer window.

Diarra's performance for Real Madrid in his first few months earned him a spot among the starting eleven on UEFA's 2008/09 La Liga Breakthrough Team. The Madridista joined Sevilla's Diego Perotti as the only foreigner on the list. According to the UEFA website, Lass "joined Real Madrid in the winter transfer window with a very low profile, although in a few short months he managed to convince the demanding Madridista fan base."

For the 2009-10 season Diarra was assigned the number 10 shirt after Wesley Sneijder moved to Internazionale and Mahamadou Diarra came back from injury and reclaimed the number 6 shirt. Lass scored his first official goal for Madrid in the 2009-2010 La Liga season opener against Deportivo de La Coruña, providing his side with their winning goal in a 3-2 victory.

Playing style

Diarra's physical strength gives him the ability to provide defensive cover anywhere on the pitch, and he also has great ball control, providing many assists for his teammates"[23]. Due to his versatility, Madrid’s La Sexta television commentators refer to him as a "todocampista" or "jack of all trades."[24]. He persistently runs down opposing players and fights for the ball, winning possession for his team [25]

International career

Diarra won eighteen caps for the France U-21s. Perhaps his most notable performance came in a UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship qualifying match against England in November 2005. With the game deep into stoppage time and seemingly destined for extra time (the aggregate score was 2–2), Diarra received the ball in the England penalty area. A challenge from Kieran Richardson saw Diarra go down, and a penalty was given. His French teammate Jimmy Briand scored the penalty past Scott Carson and France qualified.[26][27]

Diarra was selected for the senior team by coach Raymond Domenech for a 2008 Euro qualifier away to Lithuania on 24 March 2007. He started the match, alongside Claude Makélélé and Jérémy Toulalan also in midfield, and played the full 90 minutes.[28] He was also selected that year for a friendly match against Austria on 28 March 2007.[29] Diarra's consistent club performances in 2008 meant that he was picked for the France squad for Euro 2008, ahead of high-calibre players such as Djibril Cissé and Mathieu Flamini.[30] However, with France failing to progress beyond the group stages, Diarra did not feature in any of their three matches.[31][32][33] Following the international retirement of fellow defensive midfielder Makélélé, he was called up for Raymond Domenech's France squad in the 20 August 2008 friendly with Sweden.[34]

By the end of the 2010 World Cup Qualifying campaign, Diarra had made 26 appearances for France. [35] On 11 May 2010, Diarra was named to the preliminary squad of Domenech's squad to play in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He was later named to the shortened list of players and was expected to be a starter alongside Jérémy Toulalan in the midfield. However, on 22 May, while training with the national team in the high-altitude commune of Tignes, it was announced that Diarra was dropping out of the squad due to suffering severe intestinal pain and stomach cramps as a result of the altitude. A follow-up medical check reveal that the injury requires a significant amount of rest.[36] His parent club, Real Madrid, later revealed that Diarra's injury was due to asthenic syndrome secondary related to sickle-cell anemia, a genetic blood disorder characterized by red blood cells that assume an abnormal, rigid, sickle shape.[37]

Franck Bilal Ribéry (born 7 April 1983 in Boulogne-sur-Mer, Pas-de-Calais) is a French football midfielder who plays for Bundesliga club Bayern Munich. Ribéry had previously represented a number of French clubs, including Marseille and Galatasaray in Turkey. He is known for "pace, energy, skill and precise passing."[1] Since joining Bayern, Ribéry has been recognised on the world stage as one of the best French players of his generation. The previous talisman of Les Bleus, Zinedine Zidane, has called Ribéry the "jewel of French football."[1] Club career Ribéry was born in Boulogne-sur-Mer. After spending the first four years of his career in his home country with four different clubs, Ribéry relocated to Turkey in January 2005, brought in by Gheorghe Hagi, signing a three-and-a-half year contract with Galatasaray, with whom he won the 2005 Türkiye Kupası by scoring one goal and assisting one other in a 5-1 win in the 2005 final against league rivals Fenerbahçe. On 25 April 2005, an appeal by Galatasaray against Ribéry's move to Marseille was dismissed by the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS), who ruled in a statement that Ribéry had terminated his contract with the Turkish club at the end of the 2004–05 season on just grounds, and that Galatasaray was therefore not entitled to any compensation. Ribéry had opted out of his deal in May 2005 in order to return to France after having gone over four months without wages. Galatasaray had sought €10 million in compensation from Marseille, and appealed to CAS after FIFA ruled in Ribéry's favor in July 2005.[2] Ribéry made 68 appearances in all competitions and scored fourteen goals as Marseille finished runner-up to Lyon in the 2006–07 Ligue 1 title race. On 7 June 2007, Bayern Munich signed Ribéry to a four-year deal for a then club-record €25 million.[3] Ribéry was given the number 7 shirt, which was freed up due to the retirement of club legend Mehmet Scholl at the end of the previous season.[4] He made his team début one month later, scoring twice in an 18-0 friendly drubbing of Munich youth side FT Gern. Franck Ribéry. He made his competitive debut for Bayern on 21 July 2007 against Werder Bremen in the first round of the Premiere Ligapokal, scoring twice. He also netted an early goal in Bayern's 2-0 victory over defending champions VfB Stuttgart in the semifinals, but was unable to play in the final (won by Bayern) due to injury. On 8 June 2008, Ribéry was named the 2007-08 German Footballer of the Year.[5] International career Ribéry earned his first cap with France in a 1-0 victory over Mexico on 27 May 2006; he started the match but was substituted for David Trézéguet in the 74th minute.[6] He was part of France's squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, where he scored one goal in France's 3-1 win over Spain in the second round. He played in the final where France lost to Italy, and his only shot on goal came in extra time.[7] He scored the only goal in France's 1-0 win over England on 26 March 2008. On 17 June 2008, during France's 2-0 Euro 2008 loss to Italy, Ribéry suffered an injury in the eighth minute after rupturing a ligament in his left ankle,[8] and underwent successful surgery in Munich two days later.[9] His return to play happened in the 65th minute of Bayern Munich's 2-0 win over Nuremberg in the third round of the DFB Cup on 24 September 2008. Ribery then scored the only goals in two matches which gave France a double 1-0 win in a home-away roust against Lithuania to boost France's chances of getting into the FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

Karim Benzema (pronounced /bɛnˈzeɪmə/; born 19 December 1987) is a French footballer who currently plays as a striker for the Spanish club Real Madrid and the French national team. Benzema came through the youth academy at Lyon and has been capped at senior level for France. He played in UEFA Euro 2008 and was the top goalscorer in Ligue 1 for the 2007–08 season, just three seasons after making his professional debut. This was also his breakthrough season which saw him earn many awards and a new contract which resulted in him becoming one of the highest-paid footballers in France. On 1 July 2009, it was announced that Lyon had reached an agreement with Spanish club Real Madrid for the transfer of Benzema. The transfer fee was priced at €35 million with the fee rising to as much as €41 million based on incentives. On 9 July, Benzema completed his transfer after taking a medical and signing his six-year contract. Early life Benzema was born in Lyon, to Muslim parents of Algerian-Kabyle descent.[2][3][4] Benzema grew up with nine siblings and his father Hafid in the district of Bron.[5] His grandfather, Da Lakehal Benzema, lived in the village of Tighzert, located in the northern town of Beni Djellil in Algeria before migrating to Lyon, where he eventually settled in the 1950s.[6] Club career Lyon Early career Benzema is a graduate of the Olympique Lyonnais Academy. Before joining Lyon, he trained at local Rhône-Alpes club Bron Terraillon SC in the commune Bron, a suburb of Lyon. His performances with Bron's youth team caught the attention of Lyon scouts and he joined the academy in 1996 at the age of 9.[7] Benzema quickly ascended up the ranks scoring 38 goals in one season with Lyon's under-16 team[8] and scoring 12 goals in 14 matches with the under-18 team before earning a call up to the senior squad by manager Paul Le Guen. He made his league debut for Lyon on 15 January 2005 during the 2004–05 season in a match against FC Metz, coming on as a substitute in the 77th minute. Lyon won the match 2–0 with Benzema providing the assist on the second goal scored by Bryan Bergougnoux.[9] Five days later, he signed his first professional contract, agreeing to a three-year deal.[10] Over the next two seasons, his play was limited making a total of 34 appearances and scoring six goals, including his first ever against AC Ajaccio in a 3–1 win,[11] as well as his first UEFA Champions League goal against Norwegian club Rosenborg BK in a 2–1 victory.[12] Breakthrough season For the 2007–08 season, with the likes of Florent Malouda, John Carew, and Sylvain Wiltord all departing from the club, Benzema, despite being 19 at the time, switched to the number 10 shirt and was inserted into the lead striker role. After forming a special relationship with new manager Alain Perrin, he responded with 31 goals in 51 games. He topped the league with 20 goals, scored four goals in the UEFA Champions League, one in the Coupe de la Ligue, and totaled six goals in six Coupe de France matches, helping Lyon win their first ever double.[13] Some of his more dazzling performances that season included a hat trick against Metz on 15 September,[14] an equalizing goal in the 90th minute from a free kick against Derby du Rhône rivals Saint-Étienne,[15] and a goal against RC Lens that was nominated for goal of the season by fans.[16] In the Champions League, Benzema scored an important double against Rangers at Ibrox Park on the last match day of the group stage. The 3–0 victory assured Lyon progression to the knockout rounds.[17] In the knockout rounds, Lyon faced Manchester United and Benzema continued to score, this time it was from outside the penalty box in the first leg match which ended in a 1–1 draw[18] and United eventually won the tie 1–2 on aggregate. Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson and players praised Benzema for his performance.[19] Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas later accused Ferguson of tapping-up Benzema.[20][21] "It's a compliment to be compared to Zinedine Zidane, but we are different players." —Karim Benzema, after being compared to Zinedine Zidane.[22] On 13 March 2008, Benzema extended his contract with Lyon until 2013 with a one year extension option.[23] After signing his new contract, Benzema became one of the highest paid footballers in France.[24] For his efforts that season, he was named the Ligue 1 Player of the Year, selected to the Team of the Year, and awarded the Trophée du Meilleur Buteur for being the league's top scorer.[25][26] He was also shortlisted by the French magazine France Football for the 2008 Ballon d'Or award,[27] won by Cristiano Ronaldo. 2008–09 season Benzema got off to a good start for the 2008–09 season scoring twice in Lyon's opening league match against Toulouse FC.[28] The following three weeks, he scored goals against Rhône-Alpes rivals Grenoble Foot 38[29] and Saint-Étienne[30] and scored a goal against OGC Nice, converting a penalty in the dying seconds.[31] Lyon won all three matches. As a result of his early goals, Olympique Lyonnais president Jean-Michel Aulas quelled the many transfer rumors surrounding Benzema by placing a €100 million price tag on the striker. He was also nominated alongside Franck Ribéry to be featured on the French cover of the video game FIFA 09.[32] Benzema during a training session with Lyon He scored his seventh goal of the league on 29 October, scoring in the 2–0 win over Sochaux. Benzema scored again the following weekend in a 2–0 win over Le Mans.[33] He was among the top scorers in the UEFA Champions League group stage, scoring five goals,[34] a double against Steaua Bucureşti,[35] two goals in two matches against Fiorentina,[36][37] and a goal against the eventual group winners Bayern Munich on the final match day.[38] Following the winter break, Benzema endured a rough patch going scoreless the first three games before recording his 11th goal of the season against Nice in a 3–1 victory.[39] Two weeks later, he scored his 12th goal against Nancy in a 2–0 victory.[40] The next nine matches, both Benzema and Lyon's form dwindled losing four matches, drawing three, and winning only two with Benzema scoring only two goals in that stretch, both of them against Le Mans in a 3–1 victory.[41] The bad form resulted in Lyon losing their grip on first place position and eventually falling out of the title race, thus ending their streak of seven consecutive Ligue 1 titles.[42] Benzema was a part of four of those title runs. Despite losing the title, Benzema got back on track scoring his 15th and 16th goals of the season on 17 May in a 3–1 away victory over rivals Olympique de Marseille, the first goal being a penalty.[43] He scored his 17th goal the following weekend against SM Caen in a 3–1 victory moving him into third place among Ligue 1 top scorers.[44] Real Madrid Karim Benzema with Real Madrid in Toronto On 1 July 2009, it was announced that Lyon had reached an agreement with Spanish club Real Madrid for the transfer of Benzema. The transfer fee was priced at €35 million with the fee rising to as much as €41 million based on incentives.[45] On 9 July, Benzema successfully passed his medical and signed his contract, a six-year deal, later that afternoon.[46] He was presented officially as a Real Madrid player later that night at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, similarly to the previous signings of Kaká and Cristiano Ronaldo.[47] Benzema made his Real Madrid debut on 20 July in the club's opening pre-season friendly against Irish club Shamrock Rovers in Dublin, appearing as a halftime substitute.[48] He scored the lone goal in the club's 1–0 win, scoring in the 87th minute.[49] On 24 August, Benzema netted two goals in Real Madrid's 4–0 victory over Norwegian club Rosenborg in an annual friendly tournament organized for the Santiago Bernabeu Trophy. The goals brought his total tally in the preseason with Real Madrid to five, making him the joint top scorer alongside fellow striker Raúl.[50] He made his La Liga debut on 29 August against Deportivo de La Coruña.[51] Benzema scored his first official goal for Madrid on 20 September 2009 at home against newly promoted side Xerez.[52] International career Benzema has earned caps with all of France's youth teams beginning with the under-16 team, whom he earned six caps with scoring one goal. In 2004, he was a part of the under-17 squad that won the 2004 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship,[53] the nation's first ever.[54] In the tournament, which was played on home soil, Benzema scored one goal against Northern Ireland in the group stage.[55] Benzema later played with the under-18 team at the 2005 edition of the UEFA-CAF Meridian Cup. He played in all four matches scoring a tournament-leading five goals helping France win the tournament. During the 2005–06 season, he played with the under-19 team making 10 appearances scoring five goals before earning a call up to the under-21 squad who were attempting to qualify for the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship. Benzema made only five appearances with the team scoring no goals. His final appearances with the squad was in their shocking two-legged loss to Israel in the qualifying playoffs to determine the participants in the UEFA under-21 tournament.[56] Before representing France, Benzema was eligible for Algeria and was called up to the squad by the Fédération Algérienne de Football in December 2006,[57] but turned them down stating, "Algeria is my parents’ country and it is in my heart, but football-wise I will only play for the French national team."[7] On 28 March 2007, Benzema won his first cap for France against Austria, scoring the only goal in a 1–0 win for France.[58] His next two goals came in one game against the Faroe Islands, who France subsequently beat 6–0.[59] He was selected to represent France at Euro 2008. France's Euro 2008 campaign got off to a bad start with a 0–0 draw against Romania[60] and after a frustrating performance, he was substituted in the second half and played no part in their following game, a 1–4 defeat to the Netherlands.[61] In the last group game, France lost 2–0 to Italy and Benzema featured in the starting lineup.[62] He has now adopted the number 10 for France. He scored his first goal since adopting the jersey from the penalty spot against Turkey on 5 June 2009 in a friendly where they won 1–0.[63]

David Sergio Trezeguet (French pronunciation: [david sɛʀʒjo tʀezeˈɡɛ]; born 15 October 1977 in Rouen) is a French football striker, who plays for Juventus in the Italian Serie A. Of Argentine descent, Trezeguet played for the French national team, his natal country. Contents At club level, Trezeguet has played for Club Atlético Platense in Argentina (1994), AS Monaco in France (1995-2000), and Juventus in Italy (since 2000). On 16 September 2006, before Juventus' league match against Vicenza, Trezeguet was awarded a commemorative plate in recognition of his 125 career goals. After the match, his tally came to 128 goals, making him the highest scoring foreigner in Juventus history. He is currently the fifth highest scorer for Juventus, with 161 goals as of 1 March 2008, six goals behind Omar Sivori. Trezeguet scored his 168th goal for the Bianconeri in the 4-1 defeat to Bayern Munich, making him the club's highest ever foreign goalscorer, surpassing Omar Sivori. In 1997, Trezeguet scored the fastest goal ever in terms of velocity in UEFA Champions League history in a quarter-final match against Manchester United. The shot that resulted in a goal was clocked at 97.76 mp/h (157.33 km/h). He also scored his 3000th goal in UEFA Champions League history by netting against Olympiacos in 2004. In the 2003 UEFA Champions League Final, Trezeguet was one of the three Juventus players to have their penalty saved by AC Milan keeper Dida in penalties. Trezeguet caused controversy in Juventus' final match of the 2006–07 season against Spezia by making a gesture towards the club president, making a number 15 with his fingers – the number of goals he scored throughout the Serie B season – and then a gesture which, in Italian, means "I'm out of here."[citation needed] However, Juventus announced on 25 June 2007, that Trezeguet had renewed his contract until 2011.[1][2] During the 2007–08 season, Trezeguet scored 20 goals in the league, second only to teammate Alessandro Del Piero for Serie A scoring honors. In the Serie A 2008-09 season, Trezeguet sustained an injury in the groin that kept out for most of the season. He finally made his return on 4 February against Napoli and had a goal controversially disallowed. Nevertheless, he was one of the players who scored in the penalty shootout, which was won by Juventus 4–3. Trezeguet would shortly get his first goal of 2009 in the 2–0 win at Palermo in late February, in which he received the captaincy for the first time in his professional career. ‘Trezegol’ equaled Sivori’s record of 167 goals for the Turin club last month during a 5-2 win over Atalanta International career This section is in a list format that may be better presented using prose. You can help by converting this section to prose, if appropriate. Editing help is available. (July 2009) Trezeguet first competed internationally on the French youth squad alongside senior squad teammates Thierry Henry, Willy Sagnol, and William Gallas, and played in the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship. In the 1998 World Cup, younger players such as Trezeguet, Henry, and Patrick Vieira were given a chance to display their talent, gaining squad places in ahead of many long-time French national veterans. They went on to win the World Cup that year, as well as the UEFA Euro 2000 competition, which was won when Trezeguet himself scored a golden goal in the final against Italy. He also played for France in the 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cups and UEFA Euro 2004. Trezeguet was named one of the 125 greatest living footballers in 2004. On 9 July 2006, Trezeguet took part in the final of the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The match, against Italy, went to penalty kicks after a 1-1 tie and Trezeguet was the sole player from either team to miss a penalty kick, hitting the crossbar, as Italy won 5-3. On 19 October 2007, Trezeguet threatened to quit France after being overlooked for two Euro 2008 qualifying matches by French manager Raymond Domenech.[3] Trezeguet was selected to the French team in March 2008 for a friendly against England to replace the injured Karim Benzema, but then was not chosen for the French team that competed in UEFA Euro 2008.[4] On 9 July 2008, Trezeguet announced his retirement from international football.[5] He cited "the awful Euro and the reappointment of the coach" being the main reasons for this decision. He also added "I see football differently from how they see it in France. The Euro was very negative, but what annoys me more is that Domenech is staying."[6] Personal life Trezeguet and Thierry Henry of FC Barcelona are good friends. Their friendship started while they were both playing for AS Monaco. In an interview, Trezeguet stated that Henry was like a big brother to him when they were teammates. David and his wife Béatrice have two children together: Aaron (born 18 May 2000) and Noraan (born 28 May 2008).[7]

henry

1977 Born August 17 in Paris. 1990 Joins French first division Monaco as a 13-year-old. 1994 August: Makes French first division debut for Monaco against Nice, Monaco lose 2-0. Monaco coach was Arsene Wenger. 1995 April: Scores first goals in first division, two in 6-0 victory over RC Lens. 1996 May: Voted French Young Player of the Year. 1997 January: Signs first professional contract with Monaco. May: Monaco win French league championship. Henry scores nine goals in 36 matches. June: Helps France reach quarter-finals of World Youth championship in Malaysia. October: Wins first French cap in World Cup warm-up match against South Africa in Lens. 1998 June: Plays in six of seven games in World Cup finals for winners France, staying on the bench for the 3-0 final victory over Brazil but scoring three first round goals -- one against South Africa and two against Saudi Arabia. 1999 January: Joins Juventus on after Italians outbid Arsenal. April: Scores first goals for Juventus, two in 3-1 defeat of league leaders Lazio. 1999 August: Joins Arsenal for 10.5 million pounds. September: Fails to score in first eight appearances, eventually getting off the mark in 1-0 win over Southampton. 2000 June: Scores three goals as France win Euro 2000. 2001 May: Ends season with 22 goals. 2002 May: Scores 31 goals for Arsenal as they clinch the Double. June: Sent off for France against Uruguay in the World Cup finals as his country fail to progress from group stage. 2003 May: With three games remaining, Henry has scored 22 league goals as Arsenal chase second consecutive league title. He has also helped them reach second straight FA Cup final in a row. June: Voted PFA player of the year and Football Writers' Association player of the year. December: Runner-up in European Footballer of the Year poll, same position in FIFA world player of the year poll. 2004 May: Top scorer in Premier League with 30 goals as Arsenal win title without losing a match, a feat last achieved 115 years previously. Voted PFA player of the year. Becomes first player since award began more than 50 years ago to be named FWA player of the year in successive seasons. December: Runner-up in FIFA world player of the year poll. 2005 May: Helps Arsenal win FA Cup although injury keeps him out of final against Manchester United. October: Becomes top-scorer in Arsenal's history, netting twice in Champions League win over Sparta Prague to take his tally to 186, one more than set by Ian Wright in 1990s 2006 February: Scores 200th goal for Arsenal in win over Birmingham. April: Voted Footballer of the Year for the third time in four years by the Football Writers' Association, becomes the first player in 59 years of the award to receive the accolade three times. May: Captains Arsenal in their first Champions League final. Arsenal beaten 2-1 by Barcelona after goalkeeper Jens Lehmann sent off... Agrees to a new four-year contract with the Gunners, ending months of speculation about his future.

Zinedine Zidane

"Zizou" redirects here. For the 2009 Hindi film, see Little Zizou.

Zinedine Yazid Zidane (born 23 June 1972) is a retired French World Cup-winning footballer. Widely considered one of football's all-time greats, Zidane played for club teams in France, Italy and Spain, and was a member of the French national team. His career accomplishments include helping France win the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2000, in addition to winning the 2002 UEFA Champions League as a galactico with Real Madrid.One of only two three-time FIFA World Player of the Year winners along with Ronaldo, Zidane was also named the European Footballer of the Year in 1998. He retired from professional football after the 2006 FIFA World Cup

Club career

Zidane playing for Real Madrid in 2005.

Zidane joined the junior team of US Saint-Henri, a local club in the La Castellane district of Marseille. At the age of 14, he participated in the first-year junior selection for the league championship, where he caught the attention of AS Cannes scout Jean Varraud. He went to Cannes for a six-week stay, but ended up remaining at the club for four years to play at the professional level. Zidane played his first Ligue 1 match at seventeen, and scored his first goal on 8 February 1991, for which he received a car as a gift from the team president. His first season with Cannes culminated in a UEFA Cup berth.

Zidane was transferred to Girondins de Bordeaux for €7 million^[1] in the 1992–93 season, winning the 1995 Intertoto Cup and finishing runner-up in the 1995–96 UEFA Cup in four years with the club. He played a set of midfield combinations with Bixente Lizarazu and Christophe Dugarry, which would become the trademark of both Bordeaux and the 1998 French national team. In 1995, Blackburn Rovers coach Ray Harford had expressed interest in signing both Zidane and Dugarry, to which team owner Jack Walker reportedly replied, "Why do you want to sign Zidane when we have Tim Sherwood?"^[2]

In 1996, Zidane moved to Champions League winners Juventus for a fee of £3.2 million, and won the 1996–97 Scudetto and the Intercontinental Cup, but lost the 1997 UEFA Champions League final 3–1 to Borussia Dortmund. He netted seven goals in 32 matches to help Juventus retain the Scudetto the next season and make their third consecutive UEFA Champions League final appearance, losing 1-0 to Real Madrid which would be his next destination. Juventus were runners-up in 2000–01, but were eliminated in the group stage of the Champions League, during which Zidane was sent off for headbutting Hamburger SV player Jochen Kientz.

In 2001, Zidane joined Real Madrid for a then world record fee of €78 million and signed a four-year contract. He scored the match-winning goal, a thunderous volley hit with his weaker foot, in Madrid's 2-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen in the 2002 UEFA Champions League Final completing this personal quadruple. The next season, Zidane helped Real Madrid to win the Spanish league title and was named the FIFA World Player of the Year for the third time. In 2004, fans voted him atop UEFA's fiftieth-anniversary Golden Jubilee Poll, and he was included in the FIFA 100.

Despite scoring his first-ever hat-trick in a 4-2 win over Sevilla FC, Zidane's final season of club football ended trophyless. On 7 May 2006, Zidane, who had announced his plans to retire after the 2006 World Cup,^[3] played his last home match and scored in a 3-3 draw with Villarreal CF. The squad wore commemorative jerseys with "ZIDANE 2001–2006" below the club logo.

International career

A Zidane football jersey, number 10 for France.

Both France and Algeria consider Zidane a citizen, but he was ineligible to play for the Algerian national team. There was also a rumor that coach Abdelhamid Kermali denied him a position for the Algerian squad because he felt the young midfielder was not fast enough.^[4] However, Zidane dismissed the rumor in a 2005 interview, saying that he would have been ineligible to play for Algeria because he had already played for France.^[5]

He earned his first cap with France as a substitute in a friendly against the Czech Republic on 17 August 1994, which ended in a 2-2 draw after Zidane scored twice to help France erase a 2-0 deficit. After Éric Cantona was handed a year-long suspension in January 1995 for assaulting a fan, Zidane took over the playmaker position. France were eliminated in the UEFA Euro 1996 semifinals in a penalty shootout by the Czech Republic after the match ended 0-0 in extra time.

Zidane won the 1998 FIFA World Cup with France, scoring twice in the final against defending champions Brazil. He finished with two goals as France then won UEFA Euro 2000, becoming the first team to hold both the World Cup and the European Championship since West Germany in 1974. A thigh injury prevented Zidane from playing in France's first two matches in the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He rushed back prematurely for the third game despite not being fully fit, but could not prevent France from being ignominiously eliminated in the group stage without scoring a single goal.^[6]

After France were eliminated in the UEFA Euro 2004 quarterfinals by eventual winners Greece on 12 June 2004, Zidane retired from international football.^[7] 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.^[8] 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.^[9]

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.^[10]

2006 World Cup

Zidane during the 2006 World Cup final.

After being suspended on yellow cards from the final match of the group stage,^[11] 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.^[12] Before the final match, Zidane was awarded the Golden Ball as the best player of the competition.^[13]

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 and insults from the Italian player, and so did not participate in the penalty shootout, which Italy won 5–3.^[14][15] Despite the incident, Zidane was allowed to keep the Golden Ball award.^[13]

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 time. He also regularly plays for Real Madrid Veterans team.^[16] He along with Jorge Valdano, General Director, and Miguel Pardeza, Sporting Director, will be the key decision makers on the sporting side of the club.

Charity activities

Zidane during an appearance for the Danone Nations Cup.

In 2003, Zidane attended the Race Against Hunger organised 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.^[17]

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.”^[18]

In June and July 2009, Zidane toured across Canada with stops in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. Although billed as Zidane and "Friends", the likes of which included Fabian Barthez and Samuel Eto'o, the exhibition matches featured local players. Tournament organisers cited lack of sponsorship and support from the Canadian Soccer Association for the disorganized rosters. Some proceeds were given to Unicef.

Honours, and appointments

In 2004,687683 Forbes magazine named him the 42nd-highest paid athlete in the world, with earnings of US$15.8 million a year.^[19] In November 2006, Zidane toured Bangladesh as the guest of Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus. He also visited the Algerian birthplace of his parents, and met personally with president Abdel Aziz Bouteflika.^[20]

Filmmakers Philippe Parreno and Douglas Gordon filmed a documentary Zidane, which follows Zidane during an entire match, filmed with 17 cameras. The documentary was part of the 2009 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival.^[21]

Sponsorships

Zidane has had endorsements with many companies, including: Adidas, Lego, France Telecom, Orange, Audi, Volvic and Christian Dior. These sponsorship deals earned him €8.6 million on top of his €6.4 million Real Madrid salary in his final season, making him the sixth-highest paid footballer.^[22][23]

Personal life

Zidane's parents, Ismail and Malika, both Muslims of Kabyle descent from Algeria, emigrated to Paris in 1953 from the village of Aguemone in the Kabylie region of Algeria. They moved to Marseille a few years later, where Zidane was born.^[24]

Zidane met his wife, Véronique, while playing for Cannes in the 1988-89 season. They have four sons: Enzo, Luca,^[25] Theo,^[26] and Elyaz. Luca and Theo are both members of the Real Madrid Infantil B Team.