When was Zinedine Zidane in his Prime?

Zidane is my favourite player of all time, and in my eyes, he's the undisputed GOAT. You know, I'm pretty pig-headed on this subject. Even growing up watching Leo Messi has done nothing to sway my opinion. Indeed, watching hours and hours of his matches for this video has only solidified my belief that he was the best to ever do it. My aim with this was to try and find out when and where the world was treated to a Zidane in his prime. Zidane made his debut for but did not properly break into the first team till a year or so later, helping the team to 4th in the league. That remains their best ever finish in the French top flight. At Cannes, all the basic ingredients of what would make Zidane the greatest were present in glimpses. The technique, the control, the balance, the skills, the determination and the vision, his height and distinctive posture, those dangling limbs and hunched shoulders, and way with the ball, set him apart even then. But it was all raw and rough around the edges, and he needed experience to bring this all together and mould it and shape it. Between the years of 1992 and 96, and the ages of 20 and 24, Zidane played for Bordeaux, where sharing a dressing room with his future World Cup winning France teammates Christophe Dugarry and Big Zint Liza Lazu, those edges would start to be smoothed out, and the raw ingredients blended together. Zidane's first touch is the stuff of legend, and I would say that it was fully developed while playing for Bordeaux. You could blast all types of awkward balls at him and with a masterful flick of his boot, chest or head, he would bring it under his power, and using his strength and sublime shielding skills, generally keep the ball, no matter how many opposition players were bearing down upon him, and he would find the right pass to a teammate who had occupied the space vacated by those doubling or tripling up on him. Even when it looked as if he miscontrolled it, he could still keep hold of the ball. See, Zidane's main focus was to help his team and ensure they kept possession, so they could advance up the pitch and towards the opposition goal, and that meant if he did not think he could achieve that by taking his man on, he would instead lay it off to a less under-pressure teammate. His range of passing was exceptional, he's known for these little flicks and backheels and one-touch lobs, but his long-range passing and through balls were also deadly, although, at this stage of his career, the accuracy wasn't always there. Zidane's primary domain was in the centre of the park, where one of his main jobs was to pick the ball up in his own half and drive at the opposition, pushing his team forward, more often than not finding the right pass to build or complete the attack. He did have some license to drift, and often found himself on the flanks, where he would cause chaos by galloping towards the byline and getting a cross away, or playing one-twos with his teammates to open up the space. His defensive work rate is something that should not be overlooked, as his tenacity, strength, acceleration, aggression and tackling made him a capable ball-winner and someone who could put a fair amount of pressure on the player in possession. His last season for Bordeaux was undoubtedly his best for the club, as he started to stake his claim to be considered as one of the finest midfielders in Europe, putting in a series of exceptional displays. He sparkled the most in European competition, where his sensationally silky skills were given an appropriate stage. He proved himself to be a man for the big occasion, as he helped his team to the UEFA Cup Final, which they would lose to Bayern Munich. He scored a simply stupendous goal against Real Betis in the round of 16, catching the keeper off his line to sensationally volley home from 50-60 yards out. In the quarter-final second leg against AC Milan, he was in inspired form, as spraying all manner of balls all over the pitch, as Bordeaux produced some beautiful football and he assisted Dugarry twice for the second and third goals, as they clawed back a two-goal deficit from the first leg and advanced to the semis, with a 3-2 aggregate win. Saying that though, maybe the ref has claimed the assist for Dugarry's first. He again assisted Dugarry quite brilliantly, early in the semi-final first leg against Slavia Prague, and had a lovely goal inexplicably choked off for offside in the home leg. He was understandably attracting major interest from Europe, something which intensified at the Euro 1996. Zidane's chemistry and understanding with his French national team-mates, coupled with the way Emi Jacquet set them up to play, and Zidane's exceptional vision and close control of the ball, led to some truly breathtaking moments at the European Championships in England. Although it could be argued that those came in fits and starts, and Zizou wasn't quite at his best across the whole piece. Le Bleu would make it to the semis though, only to lose on penalties to the Czech Republic. Of the host of clubs keen on securing his services, it was Juventus that Zidane chose as his next destination. He left Bordeaux having scored 39 and assisted 21 in 179 appearances in all competitions. And if you're enjoying this video so far, please consider liking and subscribing. I watched literally days worth of Zidane in order to make this video the best that I could so it would be appreciated. In Turin, he was joining forces with France team-mate Didier Deschamps and hit the ground running in what was the best league in the world at the time, immediately starting to pull the strings for the old lady as their roaming playmaker. Sitting in behind the considerable striking talents of Alessandro Del Piero, Christian Vieri and Alan Boksic. His intelligence, movement, understanding of the game and unreal passing ability meant he combined wonderfully with his team-mates. He could draw 2, 3, 4 opposition players towards him, then use his exquisite technique and close control to get a pass off to his team-mate, who often found themselves blissfully free due to Zidane's miraculous space creation talents. Speaking of passing, I feel this aspect of his game had improved from his time at Bordeaux. His through balls especially seemed to go up a level, finding the intended target with much more regularity. Perhaps this was due to the huge step up in quality of the movement, timing and positioning of his new forwards. His eventual reputation as a dead ball specialist is something which I feel took off in earnest at Juve, as although he was on corner and free kick duties at Bordeaux, they seemed to be a lot more accurate in Italy. Zidane won the Scudetto with Juventus in his first season and reached his second major European final in as many years, this time the Champions League, where he again had a big part to play in his team reaching that stage, scoring 2 and providing 6 as the old lady went 10 games unbeaten in Europe. He put in a true virtuoso midfield performance, bagging a hatchet of assists against Rapid Vienna in the groups. He got an important opening goal against Rosenberg in the second leg of the quarterfinals, a freak goal actually which Zidane knew little about. And in the semis against Ajax, Zizou was again on fire, putting on a passing and dribbling masterclass, drifting and gliding through the Dutch team's defence to set up to a net one himself. Now there was a criticism levelled at Zidane during his playing days that he could be a bit of a passenger sometimes. And I'll have to admit, in a couple of the matches of him that I watched, that was the case, where he would find himself on the peripheries, hardly getting a touch on the ball and not really affecting the play in any meaningful way, but in my opinion, these times were the extreme exception rather than the rule. In the 97 Champions League final against Dortmund, this wasn't the case. Oh, he wasn't able to exert his usual influence over proceedings, don't get me wrong. This wasn't for lack of trying though, but instead because of the excellent work of Paul Lambert, who badgered and pestered and stuck to the Frenchman to severely limit his considerable attacking threat and help his team win 3-1. In the summer of 97, some key business was done in the transfer market, as both Bocsic and Vieri departed to be replaced by another world-class Italian in the shape of Filippo Inzaghi, meaning that Juve had a truly formidable and frightening strike force of Del Piero and Inzaghi. They, and of course Zidane, would be virtually the main reason that the old lady were able to retain their Scudetto as Del Piero netted 21 and Newman Inzaghi got 18 in a league. Zidane also enjoyed an uncharacteristically bountiful season, with 7 league goals and 7 assists. Their path to a second consecutive Champions League final was not as smooth as the previous year as they lost 3 times on their journey to the showpiece with Real Madrid, which they would lose to a single Mijatovic goal. Coming off the back of a fine campaign for its club, France 98 was to be the perfect platform, as billions of eyeballs worldwide were graced with a display of pure individual genius alongside what was also a phenomenal team performance. Time seemed to slow down whenever the magical maestro Zidane got hold of the ball, with which he seemed to have developed a symbiotic relationship. The way he dribbled and manipulated the ball, how he moved his body, his legs, for me it was akin to artistry, to ballet, and how he made it all look so natural, so effortless. It's acute uncanny awareness of who was occupying the space around him, and knowing instantly what to do about it, was a joy to behold. Spectators around the world also got a taste of the darker side of Zizou's nature, as his infamously short temper reared its ugly head as he was sent off for a petulant stamp on Fouad Anwar in the second match against Saudi Arabia, meaning Les Bleus had to do without him for two matches. They did make it to the finals, where much of the chatter was about their flamboyant opponents Brazil and their talismanic striker Ronaldo. It was in fact Zizou who stole the show, as France controlled the match from the off, and my man chose the right time to get his first goals in the competition, heading home two virtually carbon copy mirror image goals from Zidane would end the triumphant 1998 with the highest individual honour to go along with his team achievements, the Ballon d'Or which he was awarded with a landslide 244 points. But on the domestic front, all was not rosy, as Juventus toiled to 7th in the Serie A, their worst league placement for 8 years. An awful knee injury to Alessandro Del Piero in November saw him sidelined for the season, and oh how the old lady missed his goals. Gonzaga of course tried his best, but could only get 13 in Serie A. Desperate, they brought in fellow French World Cup winner Thierry Henry, who played mainly on the wing, and struggled to break down Italian defences, proving that he wasn't to be the man to replace Del Piero's strikes, managing only 3 in the league himself. And what of Zidane? Well, he was having a knee nightmare of his own, injuring it on the opening day of the season. Despite playing through, it's something which would apparently irk him all season, and he would twist it again in February, which saw him miss some serious game time, including the final 3 league games of the season. There were also some mental troubles which left him in a bit of a post-World Cup funk. In his own words, to win the World Cup was wonderful, but it was so hard to get back into it again. There were difficulties, especially in my head. That season, the murmurs amongst fans of Zidane being someone who went missing, that he would pick and choose, went the tournament style, and that he could beat the numbers in the league would do nothing to quiet those dissenting voices, as he got 2 goals and 3 assists. He continued to perform in the Champions League however, with his 4 assists in that competition helping Drouvet to go on another deep run, making it to the semis, only to be put out in a classic against Man United. They were much improved the following season under new boss Carlo Ancelotti, who had actually replaced Marcelo Lippi in February, taking over for the business end of the previous campaign. With Del Piero fit again, they put on some impressive displays and got some impressive results, like a 4-1 hammering of Udinese, and the 3-1 defeat of AC Milan early in the season. They also showed themselves capable of being workmanlike and grinding out the 1-0 wins or 1-1 draws even when not playing their best, and they were at the top of the table for virtually all of the second half of the season. Zidane was also back to something approaching his best, and got 4 goals and an assist in the league. Although, as I haven't mentioned it already, I'll say it now, Zidane was never the most prolific of scorers or assisters, and from what you've seen already, it should be clear that Zizou's overall work rate, talent at freeing up space, and desire to aid his team's cause cannot be boiled down to pure numbers. Some damaging losses at the business end of the season to Milan, title rivals Lazio and Verona respectively, left them in a rather precarious position going into the final day of the season, as they needed a point to secure the Scudetto. This should have been easy, as their opposition was Perugia, a team they had stuck three passes without response earlier in the season. However, the heavens opened at halftime and torrential, biblical rains caused the second half to be delayed, and also washed away the All-Ladies title dreams as Alessandro Calori scored not long after the restart to hand Lazio the title by a single point. Zidane had to dust himself down quickly after what must have been a crushing blow mentally, as he had Euro 2000 with France in the summer. If he was affected by his domestic disappointments, he certainly did not let it show, as he was actually more scintillating and spellbinding during this tournament than at the World Cup, something I wouldn't have thought possible. He dazzled from day one as France dismantled Denmark, and Zidane's creativity and invention, along with the blistering pace of Aurene and Nelke up front, made Les Bleus a frightening proposition. Zizou continued to ooze class as the world champions crushed the Czech Republic, with our guy putting on a show with his roulettes, drawing All-Ladies from the crowd. With French passes from the group secure after two matches, Zizou was rested for the game against the Netherlands, which they would lose 3-2 coincidentally. He returned, and was simply stunning against Spain in the quarterfinals, putting on a show of sublime skills, crashing in his first goal of the tournament, a direct free kick, as they smashed their way into the semis, where they would face Portugal. Zidane put in another powerhouse performance in the centre of the park, orchestrating proceedings, helping France to purr, as they were forced to show what they were made of, recovering from losing an early goal against the Verneuil Play, to overcome Portugal 2-1 after extra time. And of course, it was the ice-cold Zizou who laughed in the face of pressure, and stuck away the winning goal from the spot in the 177th minute, to set up a final clash against Italy. I'd like to say that Zidane showed phenomenal stamina, and a never-say-die attitude against Portugal, running and dribbling and trying to find an opening for Les Bleus up in the 120th minute, as if it was the first. Zidane again showed that he was exactly the man he wanted, in a tense and tough final of a major tournament. The game once more had to go the distance, and France once more emerged victorious, winning 2-1, and they were crowned European champions. Zizou did not have any problems getting back into it, like he did after France 98, and stayed on fire going into what would be his last season for Juventus. He would have one of his best ever seasons individually, getting a career best up to that point, league assist total of 13, to go along with 6 Serie A goals. He was a man possessed, playing with the kind of fire and intensity that he always did for France, and fermented teams up and down the country. As he linked up very well with a new arrival, another of his French national buddies, David Trezeguet, and, just as in his first season for the club, he was named Serie A Foreign Player of the Year. All his efforts and exertions would come to grief though, as the old lady suffered heartbreak again in the race for the Scudetto, losing out to Roma over a matter of two points. As often seemed to be the case with Zidane, when he was on top of his game, a moment of madness was never far away, and this was the case in his final Champions League campaign with Juventus, as he was given a 5-match ban for headbutting a Hamburg player, which contributed to another disappointing European campaign, this time failing to make it out of the groups. In the summer of 2001, Real Madrid president Fiorentino Perez decided to make Zidane the most expensive player of all time, bringing him to the Bernabeu for 78 million euros. He was arriving as a world and European champion, but he hadn't managed to get his hands on any silverware at club level for three years. He left Juventus having scored 31 and assisted 49 in 212 appearances. He was technically the second Galactico, with Luis Figo snapped up the year previously. Claude McAuley was also brought in in 2000, and while he may not have been the household name that Zidane and Figo were, he was just as, if not more important a signing, as his tireless, unnoticed, undervalued, but outstanding defensive midfield work allowed the 29-year-old Zizou to focus mainly on attacking, building plays and producing the kind of football that Perez must have dreamt about. In addition to his traditional attacking midfield starting position, Zidane was often utilised on left midfield. Wherever he played, he was in fine form, instantly connecting with his new teammates and producing moments of magic with the likes of Roberto Carlos, Figo, Raul and Steve McManaman. He ended the season with seven goals and nine assists in La Liga, a tally which was unfortunately not enough to win in the league, as some poor end-of-season form, just one win in five, saw them slip from top spot down to third. Let's be honest though, his debut season was all about the Champions League. Due to his suspension, he missed most of the first group stage and because of some injuries only played three matches of the second group stage, scoring one and assisting one. It was at the business end of the competition that Zizou was really unleashed, as he scored the opening goal of the 2-0 semi-final first leg win over Barcelona at the Camp Nou, and he assisted Raul in the home leg. Once again it was in a final, when all of the eyes of the world were upon him, and the expectations were the highest, as Zidane shone the brightest. With the match finally poised at 1-1, right on the stroke of halftime, Zidane escaped the attention of all Leverkusen defenders, peeled off and hung around on the edge of the 18-yard box, as Roberto Carlos floated a tempting ball towards him. In a martial arts-style move, Zidane lifted his weaker left foot up in the air to meet it, and fire home a marvellous volley, perhaps his most famous goal, and one of the best Champions League final goals of all time. Bruce Lee once said that one should try to be like water, formless, adaptable, and in that moment, amongst a cauldron of noise and chaos, I think Zidane achieved that. Zizou's electric strike would be the difference, and Los Blancos would see out the game to be crowned Champions of Europe. In the summer of 2002, Ronaldo Nazario, who in my opinion is the greatest striker of all time, became the latest big money addition. With the formidable Brazilian up front, the 2002-03 season was peak Galacticos, and quite possibly peak Zidane, as he was once more in truly remarkable form, having another stormer in the league, in fact bettering his debut season as he scored 9 and assisted 12. Along with Ronaldo's 23 league goals, Zidane's artistry and brilliance helped Real Madrid to La Liga glory, finishing two points ahead of Real Sociedad. And they were on track to keep their Champions League title, with Zidane once again proving to be the main man in Europe's top club competition, chipping in with 3 goals and 7 assists. Zizou was to be bitterly disappointed on that front though, as they were dumped out in the semi-final by his old club Juventus, throwing away a 2-1 first leg home lead to be soundly beaten 3-1 in Italy. Zidane would score in that match. In the summer of 2003, with the benefit of hindsight, we can see that some truly disastrous business was conducted, as the underpaid and unamused Claude McAlealy was sold to Chelsea, as the arrival of David Beckham from Man Utd meant that they were unwilling to give the defensive midfielder the pay rise that he deserved. Zidane, a genius who understood the game on a level that few others do, knew at the time that they were losing the beating heart of the team, and this turned out to be the case, as the wheels came off the Galacticos machine and they did not win a single thing of note for the remaining 3 seasons of Zidane's career. Zizou, however, would continue to play some of the best football of his career, and put up very respectable numbers, with his final campaign before retiring, the 05-06 season, being one of his best, as he was one of his team's top performers with 11 assists and 9 goals in the league. This included the first half-streak of his career against Sevilla. Zidane will be forever remembered as one of Los Blancos' finest ever imports, as a banner thanking him for the magic was unfurled on his final game for the club. That should have been Zidane's send-off, as he had retired from international football in 2004. France national team manager Raymond Domenech, after watching his uninspiring side toil and struggle to qualify for the 06 World Cup in Germany, begged the talismanic Zizou to come out of retirement for one last hurrah in football's biggest spectacle. Zidane captained the team. Now I've mentioned previously that he would have games where he went missing. Well, he also did this thing where he would grab his team by the scruff of the neck and drag them kicking and screaming towards destiny. Germany 06 was one of those times, as if nobody had told you, you would have no idea that you were watching a man perform his last actions and play his final professional minutes on a football pitch. France were not looking like potential World Cup winners in the early stages, as they barely made it out of the group, although they did go unbeating, drawing 2 and winning 1 against whipping boys Togo to qualify in 2nd In the knockout stages, Zidane would activate god mode and become pretty much unplayable. He scored one and assisted one as Spain were swept aside in the round of 16. In the quarter final, he was levels above everyone, head and shoulders above anyone else in the park, as he ran rings around the Brazilian midfield, making them look no better than Sunday league ballers, as he assisted Henry for the only goal. He stuck away the penalty which would send Portugal packing, and set up a repeat of the Euro 2000 final and another showdown against Italy. Zidane played out of his skin in the final, which was also his final ever professional football match. He had the audacity to open the scoring after 7 minutes with a Panenka penalty, which not many would have the guts to pull off in a World Cup final. Italy would equalise not long after, and they couldn't be separated at the normal time. We've already seen that with Zidane, magic and madness go hand in hand, and 10 minutes from the end of extra time, he unleashed a moment of insanity that would shock the world, sticking the nut deep into the chest of Marco Materazzi. Now I know he was provoked, and I know that he is a man of immense passion and pride, and that is how he was able to play the way he did. But the image of Zidane having to walk, head bowed in disgrace, past the World Cup as he made it down the tunnel for his early bath, was, and remains, one of the most heartbreaking things that I've ever seen. Italy would go on to win the World Cup on penalties. So, the time has come to try and figure out the ultimate question of this video. When was Zidane in his prime? Well, looking at his club career, a solid argument could be made for a few campaigns. The 95-96 season where he made it to the UEFA Cup final with Bordeaux, his first, second and last season with Juventus, where he was at his mesmeric best. Now I think most people watching this will say that the 5 seasons he spent at Real Madrid were Zidane at his peak, and in his prime. In all honesty, I would find it hard to argue with that, as this was when he scored some of his most famous goals, and he was playing his most compilation worthy, highlight reel sort of football. However, to me, the world only ever saw the true prime of Zidane when he played for France. The level of intensity, effort, focus, balance, skill, control, movement, invention and creativity was levels above anything I've ever seen on a football pitch. Indeed, according to Wikipedia, Zidane himself states that his prime was Euro 2000. I would wholeheartedly agree, and also add France 98 and Germany 06 to that list.