Zinedine Zidane

Zinedine Yazid Zidane (born June 23, 1972, in Marseille, France), nicknamed Zizou, is a French football player for Real Madrid and France, widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the world. He is a devout Muslim of Algerian Kabyle Berber ethnic origin. Through his status as a prominent Frenchman of Maghrebi descent, he promotes racial and religious tolerance, especially among the young and in his personal life. His wife, Veronique, a former dancer and model, is of Christian origin, a Frenchwoman of Spanish ancestry; married in 1993, they have four sons named Enzo, Luca, Théo and Elyas.

Zidane is often considered to be one of the best footballers in the world still playing, and certainly among the most talented. Zidane's dribbling of the ball and passing ability as a midfielder has earned him the nickname of 'genius' and 'magician' by the world's sport media (Luis Omar Tapia from ESPN calls him 'Harry Potter'[1] in reverence of his 'magical' abilities). Zidane's well-maintained balance makes him one of the game's finest players and the natural successor to France's Michel Platini.

On 25 April 2006 Zidane officially announced his decision to retire after the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

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