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Zidane to retire after World Cup
(AFP)
Updated: 2006-01-18 10:20
MADRID (AFP) - Real Madrid's French international midfielder Zinedine Zidane
plans to retire after the World Cup.
Zinedine Zidane
keeps his eyes on the ball during his Spanish first division soccer match
against Sevilla at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid January 15,
2006. [Reuters] | "The Frenchman told (Real chairman)
Florentino (Perez) this will be his last season," according to Tuesday's edition
of the Spanish sports daily AS.
"Zizou, who is under contract with Real Madrid until 2007, is ready to
renounce his final year with the club to go out with a bang and give it his all
in these last five months," AS wrote of the 33-year-star, who led France to
World Cup glory eight years ago.
On Sunday, Zidane, who helped Real to their ninth European Cup win three
seasons ago by scoring in the final against Bayer Leverkusen of Germany, scored
his first ever hat-trick in a 4-2 win over Sevilla which saw him show flashes of
his old form which has dipped on occasion in recent months.
Despite that showing, AS said that Real "will accept the position of the man
from Marseille with resignation (and admiration)."
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