Zidane Quits International Game (1 Viewer)

Zlatan

Senior Member
Jun 9, 2003
23,049
#1
ZIDANE QUITS INTERNATIONAL GAME

France coach Raymond Domenech confirmed Zinedine Zidane has retired from international football.

The 32-year-old Real Madrid playmaker follows in the footsteps of former captain Marcel Desailly, and defenders Lilian Thuram and Bixente Lizarazu, who announced their decision to quit internationals following Euro 2004 this summer.

The decision of Zidane and company to hang up their boots marks the end of a glorious era in French football which saw Les Bleus win both the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 in an unprecedented spell of success for the country.

Domenech said: "Zidane stops his international career here. I regret it very much because I would have liked him to continue but he had already decided about it.

"He thought about it but now I need to deal with that and would like him to help the young players."
 

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L'autista
Administrator
Sep 23, 2003
83,368
#3
If anything, he at least steps out before he's become a liability for his NT (unlike some others :rolleyes: ).
 

Len

Senior Member
Feb 13, 2004
4,972
#6
Bye.....Zizou......

He'll be a real loss to the French fans.....a shame really....he could've kept playing......
 
Dec 27, 2003
1,982
#7
Excellent decision, Zinédine. The French team was starting to look like Milan in the 96/98 seasons, i.e. rotten on the inside due to the nefarious permanence of a few "senators" that were way past their prime and who owed their presence entirely to past merits (Dessailly, Barthez anyone?).

Like Platini before him, King Zizou decided to quit while still in his prime (and I suspect he will do the same with his club career), which means we will be remembered as the fantastic player he is.

Now if only some of the chronical chokers (Godot) and boorish mercenaries (Vieri) of the italian NT could follow suit, they'd do us all a favour.
 
Jan 7, 2004
29,704
#8
++ [ originally posted by Kaiser Franco ] ++
Excellent decision, Zinédine. The French team was starting to look like Milan in the 96/98 seasons, i.e. rotten on the inside due to the nefarious permanence of a few "senators" that were way past their prime and who owed their presence entirely to past merits (Dessailly, Barthez anyone?).

Like Platini before him, King Zizou decided to quit while still in his prime (and I suspect he will do the same with his club career), which means we will be remembered as the fantastic player he is.

Now if only some of the chronical chokers (Godot) and boorish mercenaries (Vieri) of the italian NT could follow suit, they'd do us all a favour.

you cant miss one chance can you? not one. anything is good. :groan:
 

nina

Senior Member
Feb 18, 2001
3,717
#14
Well if it was Baggio I would say HELL NO, but seeing that I'm not so strongly attached to this player I believe it's a very wise decision. Kind of curious if anyone else from Les Blues will follow him (Thuram already said something that I missed or is he still sticking with them?) and how the team will shape up.
 
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Zlatan

Senior Member
Jun 9, 2003
23,049
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread Starter #15
    Thuram is out, and I can imagine Desailly, barthez, Lizarazu, maybe even someone else, are going to follow.
     

    Martin

    Senior Member
    Dec 31, 2000
    56,913
    #16
    ++ [ originally posted by nina ] ++
    Well if it was Baggio I would say HELL NO, but seeing that I'm not so strongly attached to this player I believe it's a very wise decision. Kind of curious if anyone else from Les Blues will follow him (Thuram already said something that I missed or is he still sticking with them?) and how the team will shape up.
    Desailly announced his retirement a few weeks ago, Thuram did as well. Now Zidane. Lizarazu also quit from what I remember so they have a whole new team to build. Raymond Domenech is the new coach, with plenty of experience with young players, he's the ex U21 coach. So given that Zidane was the be all and end all of the great French team we all know, I have serious doubts to them being able to rebuild as strong as they were. Plenty of talent but without Zidane..
     

    nina

    Senior Member
    Feb 18, 2001
    3,717
    #17
    They might struggle in the begining, no surprize there and very much justifiable, but they have soo much talent and potencial it's kind of hard not to imagine them being big again quite soon.
     

    Bjerknes

    "Top Economist"
    Mar 16, 2004
    111,313
    #18
    The next World Cup seems to be setting up nicely, with the retirements of many players from multiple nations, and the influx of young blood. France, Italy, Portugal, and Germany will have much younger players in important roles for football's next showcase event.
     

    Martin

    Senior Member
    Dec 31, 2000
    56,913
    #19
    It's all in the hands of the coach IMO. Jacquet built the French team, other coaches have just reaped the rewards of his work. Now Domenech is at the helm, IF he's a great coach he can make it happen. More likely, I think, he won't because coaches like Jacquet are few and far between. On the other hand, Deschamps has already done some brilliant work with Monaco and seems to be among the best coaches working with young players right now, sooner or later he will be offered the job.
     

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