French legend Zinedine Zidane recently opened up about life and football in an interview—from his days as a dream-chasing boy playing on the streets of Marseille, to the glorious memories at Juventus, and his melancholy about modern football. He made no secret of his nostalgia for "old-school football" and clearly stated that one of his future goals is to take charge of the France national team.
Speaking of his football roots, Zidane was full of warmth: "Like all kids, I fell in love with football on the streets. Forty-five years ago in Marseille, I was always playing; my passion for football was etched into my bones back then. I was a die-hard Marseille fan, and my parents are from Algeria—they moved to France to make a living, and life was tough. Now I’m glad that my children are all respectful of others; that’s more important to me than anything else."
Comparing football then and now, he openly admitted his nostalgia: "When I watch games now, I can’t help but miss some things from the past. I hope to see more attacking football; to be honest, I do miss the style of football from back in the day a little."
Recalling his time at Juventus, Zidane’s eyes lit up: "Those days were amazing. I’m from France, where football is great, but it’s nothing like the atmosphere at Juventus. In Turin, you have only one goal—to win, always win, whether at home or away. What impressed me most about Mr. Agnelli was that whenever I played well, he would call me at 6 in the morning to congratulate me. He’s a gentleman, and you can tell he truly loves football."
He also praised his former teammate Alessandro Del Piero: "He’s incredible, one of the best players in Italian football. I was lucky to play with him and many other great players for four or five years. We had a really strong team, but Del Piero had something special about him."
Talking about Juventus’ regret of losing two Champions League finals, he admitted: "The Champions League title is so hard to win. We reached the final twice but lost both times, and I still don’t know why. It also depends on the club’s plans and investment—you have to put in unimaginable effort to win the Champions League."
When it came to his decision to retire, Zidane shared his true feelings: "Retirement was my own choice. I no longer liked the constant travel, hotel stays, and all the hassle that came with it. At 20, it was fine, but as I got older, it became unbearable. I could have played for another two or three years, but I didn’t want to force myself."
As for the opportunity to transition into coaching, he credited Marcello Lippi and Carlo Ancelotti: "After retiring, my life changed completely. For three whole years, I didn’t know what to do. I tried many things until I signed up for coaching courses. Among all my coaches, Lippi had the biggest impact on me—when I first came to Italy, it was hard for me, but he always believed in me. Ancelotti was my coach first, then I became his assistant; he’s my friend and crucial to my coaching career. He’s a good coach because he’s willing to listen to the players."
When asked about "what qualities a good coach should have," he gave his answer: "First of all, you must have extreme passion for football. A good coach isn’t just one who wins; some coaches haven’t won many trophies but are still excellent. For me, the most important thing is being able to pass on your ideas to the players—only when you’re full of passion can this transmission have power."
Finally, talking about his future, Zidane made his direction clear: "I will definitely return to the coaching bench. I don’t know why the move to Juventus didn’t work out before, but Juventus has always been a special place in my heart; it gave me so much. As for the future, coaching the France national team is one of my goals—we’ll have to wait and see."
