The Hindu : Sport / Football : Zidane stopping for good after World Cup

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Thursday, Apr 27, 2006

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Sport - Football

Zidane stopping for good after World Cup

French coach sad about the decision

Paris: France and Real Madrid midfielder Zinedine Zidane said on Tuesday that he would retire after the World Cup in Germany. Zidane helped France win the 1998 World Cup on home soil as well as the 2000 European championship. He was FIFA's World Player of the Year in 1998, 2000 and 2003.

``I am stopping for good and I am stopping everything,'' Zidane told Canal Plus television. ``Most of all, I think it's my body. I told myself that I can't do another year.''

Zidane, who had another year to run on his contract with Madrid, will turn 34 during the June 9-July 9 World Cup.

High points

Zidane joined Madrid in 2001 from Juventus for a then-record fee of $65 million. He led Madrid to the 2002 Champions League title, the 2002 European Super Cup and the 2003 Spanish league crown. But with the star-studded team without a trophy since, Zidane will play his last match at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium on May 7 against Villarreal.

``I don't want to start a third year knowing that I won't be able to do better than I've done in the past,'' Zidane said. ``I'm getting to an age where it is getting harder and harder.''

He also said that he wanted to focus on the World Cup and that it was his "last objective'' and give Madrid time to find a replacement.

``This is something that has been running around in my head for quite a while,'' Zidane said. ``I wanted everyone to know so that I wouldn't be asked the 100 questions one gets when there are doubts.'' Nicknamed `Zizou,' he retired from the French team after it lost to Greece in the quarterfinals of the 2004 European championship. But along with Claude Makelele and Lilian Thuram, Zidane returned to help France qualify for the 2006 World Cup. — AP

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