Real give Zidane emotional send-off
(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-05-08 08:39
The victory enabled Zidane to complete an impressive collection of winners'
medals for club and country which included the 1998 World Cup and the European
Championship in 2000.
He helped Real to win the league title in 2003, the club's last trophy, but
his powers have been on the wane since then and at the end of April he announced
his intention to retire after the World Cup in Germany.
GREAT MEMORIES
"I've really enjoyed these five years," Zidane was quoted as saying in the
programme for the Villarreal match.
"There have been some bad times, but it will be the good ones I will always
remember. I came here hoping to win the European Cup and I can leave happy as I
have done that.
"I've got great memories of that game and I also had the good luck to score
that goal in Glasgow. I'll never forget that moment.
"My departure forms part of football, I'm not afraid of retirement. I'm proud
of my career because I've played with two of the biggest teams, Real Madrid and
Juventus, and I've won a lot of trophies.
"I've always been a very competitive player and done all I can to win and I
haven't been doing that recently. I'm retiring because I can no longer offer
Real Madrid Zidane at 100 percent."
Zidane and former Real Madrid great Alfredo Di Stefano will be given a joint
tribute on Tuesday.
Real will play Stade Reims, the side they beat to win the first of their nine
European Cups in 1956, at the reserve team ground in Valdebebas which has been
named after the Argentine.
Zidane will play his last match for Real in next week's league match at
Sevilla before hooking up with the France squad for the World Cup, which starts
on June 9.
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