Real give Zidane emotional send-off
(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-05-08 08:39
MADRID, May 7 - Zinedine Zidane scored for Real Madrid when he was given an
emotional send-off by the club's fans on Sunday in his last match at the
Bernabeu before his retirement after the World Cup.
 With his side trailing 2-1 to Villarreal, the three-times World Player
of the Year rose to the occasion when looped a header over keeper Mariano
Barbosa and into the net after David Beckham had clipped the ball into the area.
Real ended up drawing the game 3-3, a result that allowed them to leapfrog
Valencia and take second place in the Primera Liga a point ahead of Valencia and
12 behind Barcelona, who retained their title in midweek.
An 80,000 capacity crowd paid tribute to the 33-year-old France midfielder
before kickoff by holding up a vast, white mosaic made up of shirts emblazoned
with his name and the number five.
The Frenchman was given a standing ovation by the crowd while the video
screens played highlights of his five-year career with the Spanish giants.
The player himself looked somewhat embarrassed by the tribute. He kept his
head down and carried on with his warm-up exercises but briefly acknowledged the
crowd before the match got underway.
Zidane's team mates all wore a shirt specially made for the occasion with
"Zidane 2001-2006" embroidered below the club crest.
The Real Madrid playmaker was given another ovation when he was substituted
five minutes from the final whistle and returned to the centre of the pitch
after the match to thank the fans for their support.
Zidane joined Real for a world-record transfer fee of $66 million from
Juventus in 2001, having been targeted by then club president Florentino Perez
as a key part of his plans to construct a "Galactico" super team for the club's
centenary season.
He had a difficult start at Real but soon became an integral part of the team
and proved to be the most influential player in their run to the European Cup
final where he scored a stunning winner in the 2-1 victory over Bayer Leverkusen
in Glasgow.
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