In the river and fascinating interview given to L'Equipe on the occasion of his 50th birthday, Zinédine Zidane talks about his return to the France team in 2005 and the World Cup that followed.
On his desire to find the blue jersey hung up after Euro 2004, he details: “
He (Domenech) came to see me.
OK.
But it was my desire to come back that made me come back!
Period (…) There were other more irrational elements... But to stick to the rational, that's me.
Our discussions with Lilian (Thuram) and Claude (Makelele).
This lack of the Blues.
I come back, I put the jersey back on and off we go.
That's wonderful.
»
Read alsoZidane turns 50, 50 things you (perhaps) didn't know about the legend
If his return provides a wave of enthusiasm within the tricolor group and among the supporters for the World Cup in Germany, his start to the tournament is difficult.
“
It's complicated.
I am suspended for the third match, which is decisive against Togo (2-0).
You have to win,
he says
.
We got off to a bad start.
I go out in the second game against South Korea (1-1)…
”
Coaching that he finds difficult to understand: “
he (Raymond Domenech) takes me out to bring in David Trezeguet (90th + 1).
But who is going to score him, David?
It wasn't clear.
I have the glands and I let him know.
There are plenty of things that had also happened before.
Stories told about my return that weren't true.
I decided to plot my thing at this time.
We even decided to trace our thing together.
And it was going to do it.
It was launched
”.
Rumors of executives taking over the locker room during the tournament were true.
“
We took the keys.
100
%, confirms "Zizou", 16 years later
.
We were among ourselves, every day before a match.
We had found a place for us.
It was exceptional.
We brought in merguez from Berlin because they were said to be the best!
Magnificent moments, for four hours at the table.
There was a real cohesion.
It was in a little lost inn, a few kilometers from our hotel.
A fabulous atmosphere.”
Injured against Brazil
Before the sad episode of the headbutt on Materazzi and the defeat in the final, Zidane and the Blues are having a fabulous time against Brazil.
Undoubtedly the best match of the n°10 in selection.
“
One of my best matches in blue, indeed.
And that I play injured
, he confides.
I actually hurt myself against Spain.
I hurt myself scoring the third goal at the end of the match.
I have a lump on my thigh.
Almost no one knew.
I take exams.
They tell me that I'm not playing against Brazil… I say: “What?
It's out of the question that I can't play against Brazil!”
The medical staff did everything for me to play because I absolutely wanted to play this game.
And I played!
Every game could be my last.
I had that in my head so much that it was impossible for me not to play against Brazil.
I wanted to enjoy every second.
»
Read alsoWhat Materazzi said to Zidane before the famous whim in 2006
The party that follows is memorable, the shy Zizou lets loose in the Frankfurt locker room: "
Me, getting on a table and dancing, it really has to be exceptional!"
As soon as there are two people, I can no longer do it… So in front of forty, it really has to be euphoria.
When we see the images that came out, we see the atmosphere between us.
It's magic.
(Franck) Ribéry with Jacques Chirac, it's huge!
Franck addressed the president as if he were a friend from the neighborhood.
We laughed.
I couldn't believe it!
»