15 things you didn't know about Zinedine Zidane

Zinedine Zidane is one of the most famous French personalities in the world, yet he remains a rather private man. From his past as a smoker to his disputes with teammates, here are 15 fascinating anecdotes about 'Zizou'!

In 2005, while playing for Real Madrid, Zinedine Zidane discovered he had a rare condition called thalassemia. This illness affects red blood cells, making it harder for the body to transport oxygen and sometimes causing extreme fatigue. Fortunately, the Frenchman only developed a mild form of the disease and was able to continue his career at the highest level, according to the newspaper Marca.

In 2006, on the eve of the semi-final between France and Portugal, a photo of Zinedine Zidane went viral. It showed the playmaker having a cigarette, as reported by FranceInfo. Naturally, the news caused a stir, but the Marseille-born player wasn’t alone. In the documentary 'Les Yeux dans les Bleus,' Laurent Blanc is also seen with a cigarette in hand, and Fabien Barthez is shown stubbing one out.

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In 2014, during his time as coach of Real Madrid Castilla, Real Madrid’s reserve team, Marca revealed Zidane’s salary: €600,000 gross per year, approximately €300,000 net. This was far below the standards of the time, especially considering the Frenchman earned €6 million annually at the peak of his playing career.

For his 50th birthday, Zidane revealed to L’Équipe that his family doesn’t call him Zinedine or even Zizou, but by his middle name: “At home, I’m called Yazid, in football it’s Zizou, and with my wife it’s Yaz.” The term ‘yazid’ means ‘to grow’ in Arabic.

While Zidane is a role model for many players, he himself had an idol: the Uruguayan player Enzo Francescoli. Francescoli played for Olympique de Marseille during the 1989–1990 season and inspired Zidane so much that, according to So Foot, he named his son Enzo in his honour.

You might wonder what Rodez and Evian have to do with Zidane, and you’d be right to ask. In 2012, Zidane became a shareholder in Rodez, currently playing in Ligue 2. Why? It’s the club from his wife Véronique’s region. Before that, he had also invested in Evian Thonon Gaillard, due to his close friendship with Franck Riboud, the CEO of Danone, who was also a shareholder in ETG, according to So Foot.

Could Zidane have been doped? This rumour surfaced in 2010 with the release of 'L’implosion,' a book by Jean-Pierre Paclet, former doctor of the French national team. While Paclet claimed he could “guarantee that the 2006 French team reached the final on Berocca and Vitascorbol,” he also reported abnormal haematocrit levels among certain players, particularly those at Juventus during 1998–2000, including Didier Deschamps and Zidane, according to Le Point.

While Zidane is widely admired, he has sparked public debate on occasion. In 2010, the Australian newspaper The Herald Tribune reported that Zidane was paid €15 million to support Qatar’s bid for the 2022 World Cup. Zidane denied this in a 2019 interview with Le Journal du Dimanche, stating that the actual figure was €3 million, which he donated entirely to his foundation.

Although Zidane rarely appears on the screen, he has had a few small roles in films. Alongside Real Madrid teammate Raúl, he appeared in the 'Goal' trilogy, and in 2008 he featured in 'Asterix at the Olympic Games'.

This is a story that’s done the rounds. In September 1993, while playing for Bordeaux, Zidane spent an entire match clashing with Marcel Desailly. During a corner in the 60th minute, Zidane lost his temper and punched his future teammate. Desailly reflected on this incident during the show 'Le Vestiaire' on RMC Sport.

Zinedine Zidane may be a fan of television, but he also has a passion for music, especially for one artist: Francis Cabrel. In fact, he revealed to Voici, “I only ever listened to him. All the time. When I met him later, it made me really happy, though it felt a bit strange too.”

It’s a fairly well-known story, but Zidane could have played for the Algerian national team. The playmaker holds dual Algerian nationality, as both his parents are originally from Kabylie, though they settled in Marseille.

Married for nearly 30 years, Zidane and Véronique Fernandez met in Cannes in 1989, according to Voici. At the time, Zidane was playing for AS Cannes, and the two lived in a hostel for young workers. She was a dancer and biology student. They tied the knot a few years later, in 1994, in Bordeaux, according to Voici.