Time waits for no man, not even Zidane
(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-06-19 09:25
LEIPZIG, June 18 The memories of the greatest night in France's soccer
history are receding faster than Zinedine Zidane's hairline.
Nearly eight years on from a glorious World Cup final when they beat Brazil
3-0 at the Stade de France in Paris with Zidane scoring twice, the French are
struggling to build a future as glorious as the days they are leaving behind.
That is not just their long-term future either -- it is short-term too
because, after allowing South Korea to score nine minutes from time in this
Group G match to force a 1-1 draw, their immediate World Cup future is far from
assured.
Zidane may already, after the events at the Zentralstadion, be consigned to
the history books.
Booked just before the end for a thoughtless shove on a Korean defender
moments after Thierry Henry fluffed a chance that might have won the match,
Zidane will be suspended for France's last group match against Togo next Friday.
If the French fail to win that match they will almost certainly be out of the
tournament and Zidane's wonderful, brilliant career will be over.
He has already announced his retirement and has played his last club match,
having said goodbye to the Real Madrid fans who saw him at his best. The embers
on his illustrious international career are also just flickering in the breeze
now.
There is no longer enough energy, force or power for him to go into the long
night of retirement leaving a golden glow behind because Zidane, who has come
back from international retirement once to boost France's ailing World Cup
qualification challenge, has just gone on a little too long.
Coaches often say there is no room for sentiment in football and certainly
not at the highest level but coach Raymond Domenech might have allowed a little
to cloud his decision to include old faithfuls and not put his trust in younger
players.
Zidane no longer moves like he used to, no longer creates space for himself
in that unique, magical way that only he has ever done.
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