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Football player Birgit Prinz preparing to take a penalty kick.

A penalty kick (also known as penalty or spot kick) is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from 12 yards (approximately 11 metres) out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.

Penalty kicks are performed during normal play. Similar kicks are made in a penalty shootout in some tournaments to determine which team is victorious after a drawn match; though similar in procedure, these are not penalty kicks and are governed by slightly different rules.

In practice, penalties are converted to goals more often than not, even against world class goalkeepers. This means that penalty awards are often decisive, especially in low-scoring games. Missed penalty kicks are often demoralizing to players because it is an easy opportunity to score.

Award[link]

A penalty kick may be awarded when a defending player is within the penalty area (commonly known as "the box" or "18 yard box") and commits a foul punishable by a direct free kick against an opponent or commits a handball offence. Note that it is the location of the offence — and not the position of the ball — that defines whether a foul is punishable by a penalty kick or direct free kick, provided the ball is in play. The location where the foul is originally committed determines whether the penalty is awarded.

The referee signals the award of a penalty kick by blowing the whistle and pointing to the penalty spot.

Procedure[link]

David Villa taking a penalty kick.

The penalty kick is taken from the penalty mark, which is a halfway between the goal area and the penalty area, 12 yards (11 m) from the goal. The penalty kick taker (who does not have to be the player who was fouled) must be clearly identified to the referee and goalkeeper.

All players other than the defending goalkeeper and the penalty taker must be outside the penalty area, behind the penalty mark, and at least ten yards (9.15 m) from the ball until the ball is kicked. The penalty arc is used to enforce the 10 yard requirement. The goalkeeper must remain between the goalposts on the goal-line facing the ball until the ball is kicked, but may move from side to side along the goal-line. If the goalkeeper moves forward before the ball is kicked, then the penalty must be kicked again if a goal is not scored.

After the referee blows his whistle, which is the signal for the kick to be taken, the kicker must kick the ball in a forward direction. The ball must be kicked after a run-up by the taker, who may slow down, stutter or stop during the run-up, but may not feint when he is on the point of kicking the ball ("paradinha," Portuguese for "little stop").^[1] If the taker scores after violating this rule, the kick must be re-taken and the kicker must be cautioned for unsporting behavior. If the kicker does not score the referee must stop play, caution the player, and restart the match with an indirect free kick for the defending team

The ball is in play once it has been kicked and moved, and at this point in time other players may enter the penalty area and play continues as normal. Usually a goal is scored, the ball has been kicked out of play or the keeper has gained possession of the ball. Sometimes, the ball will rebound from the keeper or the goalpost/crossbar, in which case any goal scored thereafter does not count as a penalty kick goal.

The penalty kick is a form of direct free kick, meaning that a goal may be scored directly from it. If a goal is not scored, play continues as usual. As with all free kicks, the kicker may not play the ball a second time until it has been touched by another player. Thus the kicker may play the ball a second time only if the ball rebounds off the keeper, not if the ball rebounds directly off the goal frame without having touched another player.

A penalty kick is unusual in that, unlike other restarts, interference by an outside object while the ball is moving forward (directly after the kick has been taken) results in the kick being retaken, rather than the usual drop ball.

As in other restarts, an own goal may not be scored by the kicking team directly from the penalty spot; if the ball were to rebound off the goalpost, travel the length of the field, and enter the kicker's goal (an extremely unlikely scenario), a corner kick would be awarded. However, if the ball touched another player before entering the goal the goal would stand.

Tap penalty[link]

A two-man penalty or "tap" penalty occurs when the penalty-taker, instead of shooting to score a goal, taps the ball slightly forward and to the side so that a team-mate can run on to it. The team-mate, like all other players, must be at least ten yards from the penalty spot when the ball is kicked. This strategy depends on the element of surprise, so that the team-mate can reach the ball ahead of any defenders. It was made famous by Johan Cruyff in a match for AFC Ajax in 1982 against Helmond Sport.^[2]

Arsenal players Thierry Henry and Robert Pirès famously failed in an attempt at a similar penalty in 2005, during a Premier League match against Manchester City at Highbury. Pirès ran in to take the kick, attempted to pass to the onrushing Henry, but miskicked; as he had touched the ball (but barely moved it), he could not touch it again, and City defender Sylvain Distin reached the ball before Henry could.^[3]

Infringements[link]

In case of an infringement of the laws of the game during a penalty kick, the referee must consider both whether a goal was scored, and which team committed the offence.

In the case of a player repeatedly infringing the laws during the penalty kick, the referee may caution the player for persistent infringement. Note that all offences that occur before kick are dealt with in this manner, regardless of the location of the offence.

Strategy to save a penalty[link]

A penalty being scored by Ryan Valentine.

Defending against a penalty kick is one of the most difficult tasks a goalkeeper can face. Owing to the short distance between the penalty spot and the goal, there is very little time to react to the shot. Because of this, the goalkeeper will usually start his or her dive before the ball is actually struck. In effect, the goalkeeper must act on his best prediction about where the shot will be aimed. Some keepers decide which way they will dive beforehand, thus giving themselves a good chance of diving in time. Others try to read the kicker's motion pattern. On the other side, kickers often feign and prefer a relatively slow shot in an attempt to foil the keeper. The potentially most fruitful approach, shooting high and center, i.e. in the space that the keeper will evacuate, also carries the highest risk of shooting above the bar.

As the shooter makes his approach to the ball, the keeper has only a few seconds to "read" the shooter's motions and decide where the ball will go. If their guess is correct, this may result in a saved penalty. Helmuth Duckadam, the goalkeeper of Steaua Bucureşti, saved a record four consecutive penalties in the 1986 European Cup Final against FC Barcelona. He dived three times to the right and a fourth time to his left to save all penalties taken, securing victory for his team.

A goalkeeper may also rely on knowledge of the shooter's past behavior to inform his decision. An example of this would be by former Netherlands national team goalkeeper Hans van Breukelen, who always had a box with cards with all the information about the opponents penalty specialist. Another example is Portugal national team goalkeeper Ricardo in a match against England in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, where he saved three penalties. In another example, Ecuadorian goalkeeper Marcelo Elizaga, after saving a penalty from Carlos Tévez in a match between their national teams, revealed that he had studied some penalty kicks from Tévez and suspected he was going to shoot to the goalkeeper left side. The match between Argentina and Germany also came down to penalties, and Jens Lehmann was seen looking at a piece of paper kept in his sock before each Argentinian player would come forward for a penalty kick. It is presumed that information on each kicker's "habits" were written on this paper. This approach may not always be successful; the player may intentionally switch from his favoured spot after witnessing the goalkeeper obtaining knowledge of his kicks. Most times, especially in amateur football, the goalkeeper is often forced to guess. A 2011 study published in the journal Psychological Science found goalkeepers dove to the right 71% of the time when their team was losing, but only 48% when ahead and 49% when tied, a phenomenon believed to be related to certain right-preferring behavior in social mammals.^[4]

The goalkeeper also may try to distract the penalty taker, as the expectation is on the penalty taker to succeed, hence more pressure on the penalty taker, making him more vulnerable to mistakes. For example, in the 2008 UEFA Champions League Final between Manchester United and Chelsea, United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar pointed to his left side when Nicolas Anelka stepped up to take a shot in the penalty shoot out. This was because all of Chelsea's penalties went to the left. Anelka's shot instead went to Van der Sar's right, which was saved. Liverpool goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar used a famous method of distracting the players called the "spaghetti legs" trick to help his club defeat Roma to win the 1984 European Cup.

An illegal method of saving penalties is for the goalkeeper to make a quick and short jump forward just before the penalty taker connects with the ball. This not only shuts down the angle of the shot, but also distracts the penalty taker. The method was used by Brazilian goalkeeper Taffarel. FIFA was less strict on the rule during that time. In more recent times, FIFA has advised all referees to strictly obey the rule book.^{[citation needed]}

Similarly, a goalkeeper may also attempt to delay a penalty by cleaning his boots, asking the referee to see if the ball is placed properly and other delaying tactics. This method builds more pressure on the penalty taker, but the goalkeeper may risk punishments, most likely a yellow card.

A goalkeeper makes a save from a penalty kick

Even if the keeper does manage to block the shot, the ball may rebound back to the shooter or one of his teammates for another shot, with the keeper often in poor position to make a second save. This makes saving penalty kicks astonishingly difficult. If the keeper has managed to block the penalty, it will very often rebound to an area near to the penalty taker, who will have an easier shot than the penalty itself (because they are most likely closer to the goal, and the goalkeeper is most likely in a position where he will not be able to make another save). This is not a concern in penalty shoot-outs, where just a single shot is permitted.

These factors would give one the impression that penalty kicks are scored almost 100% of the time. Missed penalty kicks, however, are not uncommon despite the simple circumstances. For instance, of the 78 penalty kicks taken during 2005–06 English Premier League season, 57 resulted in a goal, meaning almost 30% of the penalties were unsuccessful. [1]

A German professor who has been studying penalty statistics in the German Bundesliga for 16 years found that 76% of all the penalties during those 16 years went in, and 99% of the shots in the higher half of the goal went in^{[citation needed]}, although the higher half of the goal is generally a more risky target to aim at. During his career, Italian striker Roberto Baggio had two occurrences where his shot hit the upper bar, bounced downwards, rebounded off the keeper and passed the goal line for a goal.

Gamesmanship[link]

A penalty can also be mistakenly awarded by the referee where a foul is committed outside the area and the referee makes an error of judgement, or inside the area, where the offensive player manages to trick the referee into thinking the offence occurred where in fact there was none. The referee's decision is final according to the laws of the game and so the result cannot be overturned at a later time. Some players practise different ways to gain competitive advantage as a result of this rule, leading to much controversy.

History[link]

The early origin of the penalty kick probably lies in rugby football, as shown in early match reports, for example in 1888: "Dewsbury was awarded a penalty kick in front of the goal"^[5] The concept of a penalty goal for fouls within 2 yards (1.8 m) of the goal was suggested at a Sheffield FA meeting in 1879.^[6] The invention of the penalty kick is also credited to the goalkeeper and businessman William McCrum in 1890 in Milford, County Armagh, Ireland.^[7] The Irish Football Association presented the idea to the International Football Association Board and finally after much debate, and after a blatant goal-line handball by a Notts County player in the FA Cup quarter-final against Stoke City, the board approved the idea on 2 June 1891.^[8] A similar incident in Scotland in a match between Airdrieonians and Heart of Midlothian also contributed to the call for the penalty kick,^[9] which came into effect in the 1891–92 season. The first ever penalty kick was awarded to Wolverhampton Wanderers in their game against Accrington at Molineux Stadium on 14 September 1891. The penalty was taken and scored by "Billy" Heath^[10] as Wolves went on to win the game 5–0.

Notes[link]

1. ^ Rule changes ahead of FIFA World Cup – “Paradinha” Outlawed
2. ^ Dart, James (2005-10-26). "Who took the first two-man penalty?". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2005/oct/26/theknowledge.sport. 
3. ^ "Wenger defends Pires over penalty". BBC News. 2005-10-22. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/a/arsenal/4368116.stm. 
4. ^ Under Pressure, Soccer Goalies Tend To Dive Right, 2011-08-02, http://www.npr.org/2011/08/02/138922339/under-pressure-soccer-goalies-tend-to-dive-right, retrieved 2011-09-03 
5. ^ The Leeds Mercury (Leeds, England), Monday, November 12, 1888; Issue 15788.
6. ^ Murphy, Brendan (2007). From Sheffield with Love. Sports Book Limited. p. 107. ISBN 978-1-899807-56-7. 
7. ^ Daily Telegraph Monday 9th April 2007 p5 (see article on Telegraph online)
8. ^ The Sunday Times Illustrated History Of Football Reed International Books Limited. 1996. p11. ISBN 1-85613-341-9
9. ^ James Adams - A Squad, Scottish Football Association.
10. ^ "Happened on this day - 14 September". BBC News. 2002-09-14. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/funny_old_game/2257279.stm. Retrieved 2010-05-22. 

External links[link]

• History of Laws of the Game - From 1863 to the Present Day
• 1000+ penalty kicks statistics & analysis

Zinedine Zidane

Zidane in 2006
Personal information
Full name	Zinedine Yazid Zidane
Date of birth	(1972-06-23) 23 June 1972 (age 40)[1]
Place of birth	Marseille, France
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing position	Attacking Midfielder
Youth career
1982–1983	US Saint-Henri
1983–1986	SO Septèmes-les-Vallons
1986–1988	Cannes
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1988–1992	Cannes	61	(10)
1992–1996	Bordeaux	139	(58)
1996–2001	Juventus	151	(47)
2001–2006	Real Madrid	155	(37)
Total		506	(152)
National team
1992–2006	France	108	(31)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Zinedine Zidane (French pronunciation: [zinedin zidan]) (born 23 June 1972) is a retired French footballer. Zidane was the leading figure of a generation of French players that won the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship. After a brief international retirement, he returned to the national team in 2005 and captained France to the 2006 World Cup Final where he won the Golden Ball as the tournament's most outstanding player.

In club level Zidane won the La Liga 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. He is one of only four players to have been FIFA World Player of the Year three or more times (Brazilian forward Marta is a five time winner (female award), while Brazilian striker Ronaldo (male award) and German striker Birgit Prinz (female award) have won three each). He also won the Ballon d'Or in 1998. He retired from professional football after the 2006 World Cup.

He currently holds the post of Real Madrid Director of Football, filling the spot previously held by Jorge Valdano.^[2] He used to play at attacking midfielder.

Early life[link]

Zidane is of Algerian Kabyle Berber descent. His parents, Smaïl and Malika, emigrated to Paris from the village of Aguemoune in the Berber-speaking region of Kabylie in northern Algeria in 1953 before the start of the Algerian War. The family, which had settled in the city's tough northern districts of Barbès and Saint-Denis, found little work in the region. So in the mid-1960s, they moved to the northern Marseille suburb of La Castellane where, on June 23, 1972, Zidane was born as the youngest of five siblings. Zidane's father Smaïl worked as a warehouseman at a department store, often on the night shift, while his mother was a housewife.^[3] The family lived a reasonably comfortable life by the standards of the neighbourhood, which was notorious throughout Marseille for its high crime and unemployment rates.^[4]

It was at La Castellane that Zidane had his earliest introduction to football, joining in at the age of five, in football games that the neighbourhood's children played on the Place Tartane, an 80-by-12-yard plaza that served as the main square of the housing complex.^[5] In July 2011, Zidane named Blaž Slišković, Enzo Francescoli and Jean-Pierre Papin as his idols while growing up.^[6][7]

Club career[link]

Youth clubs[link]

At the age of ten, Zidane got his first player's license after joining the junior team of a local club from La Castellane by the name of US Saint-Henri. After spending a year and a half at US Saint-Henri, Zidane joined SO Septèmes Valons when the Septèmes coach Robert Centenero convinced the club's Director to get Zidane.

Zidane stayed with Septèmes till the age of fourteen, at which time he was selected to attend a three-day training camp at the CREPS (Regional Centre for Sports and Physical Education) in Aix-en-Provence, one of several such footballing institutes run by the French Football Federation. It was here that Zidane was spotted by AS Cannes scout Jean Varraud who recommended him to the training center director of the club.

Cannes[link]

Zidane went to Cannes for a six-week stay, but ended up remaining at the club for four years to play at the professional level. Having left his family at the age of fourteen to join Cannes, the youngster was invited by Cannes director Jean-Claude Elineau, to leave the dormitory he shared with 20 other trainees and to come and stay with him and his family. Zidane later said that it was in living with the Elineaus that he found equilibrium.^[8]

Zidane made his professional debut with Cannes on 18 May 1989 at the age of seventeen in a Ligue 1 match against Nantes.^[9] He scored his first goal for the club on 8 February 1991 also against Nantes in a 2–1 win. After the match during a party for all the Cannes players, Zidane was gifted a car by Cannes chairman Alain Pedretti, who had promised him one the day he scored his first goal for the club.^[10] In his first full season with Cannes, the club secured its first ever European football berth by qualifying for the UEFA Cup after finishing 4th in the league. This remains the club's highest finish in the top flight since getting relegated for the first time from the first division in the 1948–49 season.^[11]

Bordeaux[link]

Zidane was transferred to Girondins de Bordeaux in the 1992–93 season, winning the 1995 Intertoto Cup,^[12] 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 manager Kenny Dalglish 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?"^[13]

Juventus[link]

In 1996, Zidane moved to UEFA Champions League winners Juventus for a fee of £3.2 million^{[citation needed]} and won the 1996–97 Serie A and the 1996 Intercontinental Cup.^[14] He lost in the 1997 UEFA Champions League Final 3–1 to Borussia Dortmund when he was unable to make an impression against the close marking of Paul Lambert.^{[15][16][17][18][19]} The following season, Zidane netted 7 goals in 32 matches in the league to help Juventus win the 1997–98 Serie A and thus retain the Scudetto. In Europe, Juventus made their third consecutive UEFA Champions League Final appearance, but lost the game 1–0 to Real Madrid, a club Zidane would later join. Juventus finished second in the 2000–01 Serie A, but were eliminated in the group stage of the Champions League, after Zidane was banned for head-butting Hamburger SV player Jochen Kientz.^[20] In 2001, Zidane was named Serie A Foreign Footballer of the Year for the second time.

Real Madrid[link]

Playing for Real Madrid in 2005.

In 2001, Zidane joined Real Madrid for a then world record fee of 150 billion Italian lire.^[21] (about €75 million^[22]) and signed a four-year contract. He scored a famous match-winning goal, a volley hit with his weaker foot, in Madrid's 2–1 win over Bayer Leverkusen in the 2002 UEFA Champions League Final completing his personal quadruple. The next season, Zidane helped Real Madrid to win the 2002–03 La Liga and was named the FIFA World Player of the Year for the third time. In 2004, fans voted him as the best European footballer of the previous 50 years in UEFA's fiftieth-anniversary Golden Jubilee Poll.

While Zidane's final season of club football ended trophyless, he enjoyed success on a personal note recording the maiden hat-trick of his career, scoring thrice against Sevilla FC in a 4–2 win in January 2006.^[23] He ended the season for Real Madrid as their second highest goal scorer and assists provider behind team-mates Ronaldo and Beckham respectively, with 9 goals and 10 assists in 28 games.^[24] On 7 May 2006, Zidane, who had announced his plans to retire after the 2006 World Cup,^[25] played his last home match and scored in a 3–3 draw with Villarreal CF. The squad wore commemorative shirts with ZIDANE 2001–2006 below the club logo. He left Real Madrid in 2006.

International career[link]

A Zidane football shirt, number 10 for France

Both France and Algeria consider Zidane a citizen, but he was ineligible to play for the Algerian national team. It was rumoured that coach Abdelhamid Kermali denied Zidane a position for the Algerian squad because he felt the young midfielder was not fast enough.^[26] However, Zidane dismissed the rumour in a 2005 interview, saying that he would have been ineligible to play for Algeria because he had already played for France.^[27]

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 Euro 96 semi-finals in a penalty shootout by the Czech Republic after the match ended 0–0 in extra time.

The 1998 FIFA World Cup was the first World Cup that Zidane participated in. It was held in his home country France. The French team won all three games in the group stage but Zidane was sent off in the second match against Saudi Arabia for a stamp on Fuad Anwar, becoming the first French player to receive a red card in a World Cup finals. Without their suspended playmaker France proceeded to win 1–0 in the last sixteen game against Paraguay and, on his return to the side, defeated Italy 4–3 on penalties after a goalless draw in the quarter finals. France then defeated Croatia 2–1 in the semi final. Zidane played a major role in the team's accomplishment, though he had yet to score a goal at the World Cup.

Zidane and France went on to play against defending champions and favourites Brazil at the Stade de France in the 1998 FIFA World Cup Final. France dominated Brazil from the kick-off, with Zidane scoring two identical goals, both headers from corner kicks taken by Emmanuel Petit and Youri Djorkaeff. Courtesy of Zidane's brace, France went into the break 2–0 up at half-time with one hand already on the World Cup trophy. Emmanuel Petit added a third goal deep in stoppage time to seal the 3–0 win and France's first ever World Cup. Zidane became an instant national hero and his image was projected onto the Arc de Triomphe.

Two years later France won Euro 2000, becoming the first team to hold both the World Cup and the European Championship since West Germany in 1974. Zidane finished with two goals, a memorable free kick against Spain in the quarter final and the golden goal in the semi final against Portugal, and was named player of the tournament by UEFA.

As reigning world and European champions, France entered the 2002 World Cup as favourites but a thigh injury prevented Zidane from playing in France's first two matches and without their talisman the French team failed to score in either match. He was 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; the worst performance by a defending champion in the history of the competition.^[28]

At Euro 2004, France topped their group with wins over England and Switzerland, before being knocked out in the quarter finals by eventual champions Greece in a surprise 1-0 loss. In the opening match against England, Zidane scored a free kick and penalty in stoppage time to turn defeat into a 2–1 victory for France. After France's elimination Zidane announced his retirement from international football.^[29]

With the mass retirement of veteran key players such as Bixente Lizarazu, Marcel Desailly, Claude Makélélé and Lilian Thuram, France struggled to qualify for the 2006 World Cup. At the urging of coach Raymond Domenech, Zidane came out of retirement and was immediately reinstated as team captain.^[30] Zidane, along with Thuram and Makélélé, made his competitive return for France in a 3–0 win over the Faroe Islands on 3 September 2005. The trio helped France rise from fourth place to win their qualifying group.^[31] On 27 May 2006, Zidane earned his hundredth cap for France in a 1–0 friendly win over Mexico, in what would also be his last match at the Stade de France. Zidane became France's fourth player to reach 100 caps, after Desailly, Thuram and Didier Deschamps.^[32]

Zidane during the 2006 World Cup Final

France had a slow start to the 2006 World Cup and, after being suspended for the final match of the group stage, Zidane returned to set up a goal for Patrick Vieira and score one himself in the second round match against Spain. In the quarter final France held Brazil to just one shot on goal in the rematch of the 1998 final. Zidane assisted Thierry Henry's deciding goal and he was named Man of the Match by FIFA.^[33] France faced Portugal in the semi final and, as in Brussels six years earlier, Zidane's penalty kick decided the contest and sent France to another major final.

Before the 2006 FIFA World Cup Final in Berlin, Zidane was awarded the Golden Ball as the best player of the competition.^[34] Having already announced he was to retire after the expiration of his Real Madrid contract at the end of the 2005–06 season, the world of football already knew Zidane's second World Cup final was to be the last match of his career. Seven minutes into the match Zidane put France ahead with a penalty kick and 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. He almost scored a second goal during the first period of extra time but his header was saved by Italy's goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon. Zidane was then sent off in the 110th minute of the game after headbutting Marco Materazzi in the chest,^[35] so he did not participate in the penalty shootout which Italy won 5–3.^[36] In 2010, Zidane said that he "would rather die" than apologize to Materazzi for the headbutt in the final,^[37] but also admitted that he “could never have lived with himself” had he been allowed to remain on the pitch and help France win the match.^[38]

Following his red card in the final, Zidane retired from professional football, and confirmed that he would not go back on his decision.^[39] He was sentenced by FIFA to a three game suspension for his red card, but since he had retired from professional football, he agreed to complete three days of community service with children as part of FIFA’s humanitarian projects.

Post-retirement[link]

Since his retirement, Zidane regularly plays for the Real Madrid Veterans team. He has also made several futsal appearances.

In an interview in June 2008, Zidane stated that he wanted to return to football, but that he had no imminent plans to do so.^[40]

On 1 June 2009, Zidane was announced as the Advisor to the President after Florentino Perez was named President of Real Madrid for the second time.^[41] He along with Jorge Valdano, General Director, and Miguel Pardeza, Sporting Director, were to be the key decision makers on the sporting side of the club.

After France's dismal campaign in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Zidane said that he did not plan to move into coaching any time soon.^[42]

Qatar's 2022 World Cup bid committee announced in September 2010 that Zidane had been appointed as an ambassador for Qatar's attempt to host the 2022 World Cup.^[43] After FIFA announced on 2 December 2010 that Qatar had won the bid to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup,^[44] Zidane stated that he was "very pleased" with the outcome.^[45]

In November 2010, Zidane was appointed as a special adviser to Real Madrid's first team in response to an appeal made by Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho for the former Real midfielder to work more closely with the team. In his new role, Zidane is expected to participate in Champions League events and functions. He is also to travel with the first team on a regular basis and participate in pre-match gatherings, training sessions and meetings with the head coach.^[46] In July 2011 it was announced that he would become Real Madrid's new sporting director.^[47]

Charity activities[link]

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.^[48]

Zidane during an appearance for the Danone Nations Cup

On 19 November 2008, 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 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 UN goodwill ambassador since 2001, stated before the game that "everyone can do something to make the world a better place"^[49]

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 Fabien 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.

On 6 June 2010, Zidane took part in the bi-annual charity event Soccer Aid. He played for the Rest Of The World Team, managed by Liverpool and Celtic hero Kenny Dalglish against England alongside former Real Madrid teammate Luis Figo, and Celtic legend Henrik Larsson. He played against former players such as Teddy Sheringham, David Seaman and Alan Shearer, as well as celebrities such as Robbie Williams. The Match took place at Old Trafford in Manchester and was won by The Rest of the World for the first time, by penalties after a 2–2 draw.

Tributes and legacy[link]

In 2004, Forbes magazine named him the 42nd-highest paid athlete in the world, with earnings of US$15.8 million a year.^[50] 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 Algerian president Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who gave him an official reception.^[51]

Filmmakers Philippe Parreno and Douglas Gordon filmed a documentary Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait, which follows Zidane during an entire match, filmed with 17 cameras. The documentary was part of the 2009 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival.^[52]

Many experts have testified to Zidane's skills and impact as an all-time great, such as Brazil coach Carlos Alberto Parreira who has labelled Zidane "a monster" for his performance and playing skills. French footballer Michel Platini states Zidane is one of the most skillful players the game has ever known: "Technically, I think he is the king of what's fundamental in the game – control and passing. I don't think anyone can match him when it comes to controlling or receiving the ball."

German coach Franz Beckenbauer stated: "Zidane is one of the greatest players in history, a truly magnificent player." Pelé, a World Cup winner three times with Brazil, hailed Zidane after seeing Brazil losing to France: "Zidane was the magician in the game." Italy's manager Marcello Lippi, who has also coached Zidane, opined "I think Zidane is the greatest talent we've known in football these last 20 years, yet he never played the prima donna. I am honoured to have been his manager."^[53] Among his peers, David Beckham has described Zidane as "the greatest of all time",^[54][55] FC Barcelona star Xavi has stated in a 2010 interview that Zidane was "the '90s and early 2000's best player"^[56] while Brazilian defender Roberto Carlos has said of Zidane that, "he is the best player I've seen", in a 2010 interview with French newspaper L'equipe.^[57] At the 1998 World Cup, Cesare Maldini, the manager of the Italian team, said: "I would give up five players to have Zizou in my squad."^[8] In 2011 Uefa.com asked players, journalist and their users to crown the best player in the UEFA Champions League of the past 20 years, Zidane topped the poll ahead of Lionel Messi.^[58]

Sponsorships[link]

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 €61.4 million Real Madrid salary in his final season, making him the sixth-highest paid footballer.^[59][60] In May 2010 he appeared in an ad for Louis Vuitton, alongside fellow legends Pelé and Diego Maradona.

Personal life[link]

Zidane's parents' house in the village of Aguemoune Ath Slimane in Algeria.

Zidane met his wife, Véronique Fernandez,^[61] while playing for Cannes in the 1988–89 season. They have four sons: Enzo Zidane Fernandez (b. 24 March 1995), Luca Zinedine Zidane Fernandez (b. 13 May 1998),^[62] Theo (b. 18 May 2002),^[63] and Elyaz Zidane Fernandez (b. 26 December 2006). Enzo, Luca and Theo are all members of the Real Madrid Academy. Enzo (Midfielder) is in Juvenil C ( Real Madrid's U-17 ), Luca (Goalkeeper) is in Infantil A and Theo (Striker) is in Benjamin A. Zidane is a non-practicing Muslim. ^[64]

Career statistics[link]

Club[link]

^[65]

International[link]

^[66][67][68]

Note

International goals[link]

International goals^[67]

Goal	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	1994-08-17	Stade Chaban-Delmas, Bordeaux, France	Czech Republic	1–2	2–2	Friendly Match
2	1994-08-17	Stade Chaban-Delmas, Bordeaux, France	Czech Republic	2–2	2–2	Friendly Match
3	1995-09-06	Stade Abbe Deschamps, Auxerre, France	Azerbaijan	7–0	10–0	1996 UEFA Euro Qualifying
4	1995-10-11	Ghencea, Bucharest, Romania	Romania	1–3	1–3	1996 UEFA Euro Qualifying
5	1996-02-21	Stade des Costières, Nimes, France	Greece	3–1	3–1	Friendly Match
6	1997-06-11	Parc des Princes, Paris, France	Italy	1–0	2–2	Tournoi de France
7	1998-01-28	Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France	Spain	1–0	1–0	Friendly Match
8	1998-02-25	Velodrome, Marseille, France	Norway	2–1	3–3	Friendly Match
9	1998-05-27	Stade Mohamed V, Casablanca, Morocco	Belgium	0–1	0–1	1998 Hassan II Trophy
10	1998-07-12	Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France	Brazil	1–0	3–0	Final, 1998 World Cup
11	1998-07-12	Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France	Brazil	2–0	3–0	Final, 1998 World Cup
12	1999-09-08	Hrazdan Stadium, Yerevan, Armenia	Armenia	1–2	2–3	2000 UEFA Euro Qualifying
13	2000-02-23	Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France	Poland	1–0	1–0	Friendly Match
14	2000-06-04	Stade Mohamed V, Casablanca, Morocco	Japan	1–1	2–2	2000 Hassan II Trophy
15	2000-06-25	Jan Breydel, Bruges, Belgium	Spain	0–1	1–2	Quarter-final, 2000 UEFA Euro
16	2000-06-28	King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium	Portugal	1–2	1–2	Semi-final, 2000 UEFA Euro
17	2001-02-27	Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France	Germany	1–0	1–0	Friendly Match
18	2001-03-24	Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France	Japan	1–0	5–0	Friendly Match
19	2002-03-27	Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France	Scotland	1–0	5–0	Friendly Match
20	2003-03-29	Stade Félix-Bollaert, Lens, Pas-de-Calais, France	Malta	4–0	6–0	2004 UEFA Euro Qualifying
21	2003-03-29	Stade Félix-Bollaert, Lens, Pas-de-Calais, France	Malta	6–0	6–0	2004 UEFA Euro Qualifying
22	2003-04-02	Renzo Barbera, Palermo, Italy	Israel	0–2	1–2	2004 UEFA Euro Qualifying
23	2004-06-06	Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France	Ukraine	1–0	1–0	Friendly Match
24	2004-06-13	Estádio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal	England	1–1	2–1	Group Stage, 2004 UEFA Euro
25	2004-06-13	Estádio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal	England	2–1	2–1	Group Stage, 2004 UEFA Euro
26	2004-06-21	Estádio Cidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal	Switzerland	0–1	1–3	Group Stage, 2004 UEFA Euro
27	2005-08-17	Stade de la Mosson, Montpellier, France	Côte d'Ivoire	2–0	3–0	Friendly Match
28	2005-10-12	Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France	Cyprus	1–0	4–0	2006 FIFA World Cup Qualifying
29	2006-06-27	Niedersachsenstadion, Hannover, Germany	Spain	1–3	1–3	Round of 16, 2006 FIFA World Cup
30	2006-07-05	Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany	Portugal	0–1	0–1	Semi-final, 2006 FIFA World Cup
31	2006-07-09	Olympic Stadium, Berlin, Germany	Italy	0–1	1–1	Final, 2006 FIFA World Cup

Awards and honors[link]

Club[link]

Girondins Bordeaux UEFA Intertoto Cup (1): 1995 Juventus Serie A (2): 1996–97, 1997–98 Supercoppa Italiana (1): 1997 UEFA Super Cup (1): 1996 Intercontinental Cup (1): 1996 UEFA Intertoto Cup (1): 1999 Real Madrid La Liga (1): 2002–03 Supercopa de España (2): 2001, 2003 UEFA Champions League (1): 2001–02 UEFA Super Cup (1): 2002 Intercontinental Cup (1): 2002 Country[link] France FIFA World Cup (1): 1998 UEFA European Football Championship (1): 2000 King Hassan II International Cup Tournament (2): 1998, 2000

Individual[link] Ballon d'Or awarded to Zidane in 1998 Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year – 1994 Ligue 1 Player of the Year – 1996 Serie A Foreign Footballer of the Year – 1997, 2001 UEFA Club Midfielder of the Year – 1998 FIFA World Cup Final Man of the Match – 1998 World Soccer Awards Player of the Year – 1998 Ballon D'or – 1998 L'Équipe Champion of Champions – 1998 French Player of the Year – 1998, 2002 Onze d'Or – 1998, 2000, 2001 FIFA World Player of the Year – 1998, 2000, 2003 FIFA World Cup All-Star Team – 1998, 2006 ESM Season XI: 1997–98, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2003–04 World Soccer 100 Greatest Players of the 20th Century – 1999 UEFA Euro Player of the Tournament – 2000 UEFA Euro Team of the Tournament – 2000, 2004 Serie A Footballer of the Year – 2001 UEFA Team of the Year – 2001, 2002, 2003 UEFA Champions League Final Man of the Match – 2002 La Liga Best Foreign Player – 2002 UEFA Club Footballer of the Year – 2002 FIFA World Cup Dream Team – 2002 FIFA 100 Greatest Living Footballers – 2004 UEFA Best European Player of the Past 50 Years – 2004 FIFPro World XI All-Star Team – 2005, 2006 IFFHS World's Best Playmaker – 2006 FIFA World Cup Golden Ball – 2006 UNFP Honorary Award – 2007 Marca Leyenda Award – 2008 Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award – 2011 UEFA Champions League Best Player of the Past 20 Years – 2011 Order[link] Chevalier (Knight) of the Légion d'honneur in 1998,[69][70] promoted to Officier (Officer) in 2009[71]

Notes and references[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Zinedine Zidane

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Zinedine Zidane

• (French) / (Spanish) Official website
• Zinedine Zidane at the Internet Movie Database
• European Champions Cup/UEFA Champions League Winning Squads
• Works by or about Zinedine Zidane in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
• Zinedine Zidane collected news and commentary at The New York Times