Both France and Algeria considered Zinedine Yazid Zidane as their citizen, but the maestro would shine in the Blue Shirt for France and of course, back in Spain, he is a treasure for Real Madrid. On the field, he has always been about a footballer blessed with the ability to script incredible things.
And, on August 17, 1994, in his international debut during the friendly against the Czech Republic, Zidane hinted at what was to come in the next twelve years.
The French team was going through a transition period because the heydays of the 80s were over and the next generation failed to deliver anything at the top competitions - they were absent in World Cup in Italy and USA and cut a sorry figure in the Euros as well. The coach decided to build on defence rather than flair because, as a matter of fact, the French did not have the talent like the 80s.
Laurent Blanc, Lilian Thuram, Marcel Desailly, and Bruno N’Gotty all played as Jacquet packed his team full of center-backs, hoping to stifle the Czechs, who still had not lost the reputation of displaying attacking football.
What little flair was provided by Eric Cantona, David Ginola and Christophe Dugarry hadn't ignited.
The unthinkable happened at Bordeaux as the Czechs took a lead by two goals in the first half courtesy of their hero Skuhravy and Daniel Smejkal.
Enter a 22-year-old novice from Bordeaux. Zinedine Yazid Zidane.
The midfielder had built a reputation in Ligue 1 as a talented if slightly one-paced midfielder with Cannes and Bordeaux and now it was time for him to step up and prove his worth at the international level.
Corentin Martins off, Zidane on.
Zizou took over as the primary playmaker with Ginola leaving the pitch for Bixente Lizarazu.
The Czech Republic, who’d brought Patrik Berger and Karel Poborsky off the bench, continued to frustrate the French.
Zidane, wearing an unfamiliar number 14 shirt, struggled to get into the game.
But then, in the 85th minute, it happened. Zizou picked up a perfectly weighted pass from Blanc, beating one man without even touching the ball.
A second defender came rushing out only to be sent back to Prague with a drop of Zizou’s right shoulder and a swivel of the hips.
Zidane then shifted the ball from his right foot to his left foot, beating another man in the process, before arrowing the ball into the bottom corner from 30-yards out.
No celebration. No overjoyed passion at scoring his first international goal. Just the demand that someone fetch the dispatched ball out of the net and race it back to the center circle.
Two minutes later he was at it again, though this time showing a much-underrated side of his game.
An inswinging corner was whipped in. The Czech Republic made the mistake of leaving Zidane unmarked on the edge of the area.
He ambled into view before bulleting a header into the top corner from a good 10-yards out.
This time he did allow himself a moment of celebration. Rightly so.
And the journey of a legend began!
Thank You
Faisal Caesar
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