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Exclusive : Zinedine Zidane’ interview

Published

2 months ago

October 12, 2025

Zinédine Zidane took the stage on the final day of Il Festival dello Sport in Trento, joining a lineup that included former Italy coach Luciano Spalletti.

The French legend began by speaking about his roots and early passion for football:

“Like all children, I learned to love football in the streets. Forty-five years ago in Marseille, I was always playing with a ball — that was my passion. I supported Marseille, of course. My parents are from Algeria; they moved to France for work, and times were difficult back then. I’m proud of my children because they are respectful — and for me, that’s what matters most.”

Zidane also shared his perspective on how the game has evolved:

“Compared to the past, I feel something is missing today. When I watch matches now, I want to see more attacking football. I do miss the football of the past.”

Zidane on Juventus: “In Turin, winning was the only option”

Zidane looked back fondly on his years in Turin, calling his time at Juventus “beautiful.”

“Coming from France, where football was good but not at Juve’s level, I immediately felt that winning was the only thing that mattered — at home or away, always. What I remember most about Avvocato Agnelli is that when I played well, he’d call me at six in the morning to congratulate me. He was a true gentleman, and you could see his passion for the game.”

The Frenchman also paid tribute to his former teammate Alessandro Del Piero:

“He was incredible — one of the best players in Italy. I was lucky to play four or five years with him and many others. We really had a great team, but Del Piero had something special.”

Zidane concluded by reflecting on Juventus’ pursuit of European glory:

“The Champions League is difficult to win. We reached two finals and lost both. Sometimes it depends on the club’s vision — to win the Champions League, you need a lot of everything.”

“Me as coach of Juventus? I’m not sure why it didn’t happen, different decisions were made. Juventus will always have a place in my heart because the club has given me so much. As for the future, we’ll see. I would also love the opportunity to coach France someday.”