La Galaxia de Estrellas

• 
  PROFILE
  
• Name: Zinedine Zidane
  
• Date of Birth: 23 June 1972
  
• Place of Birth: Marseille, France
  
• Nationality: French
  
• First Game:
  As second half substitute against Czech Republic 1994. Scores 2 goals in 17 minutes.
  
• Clubs:
  1998 - AS Cannes; 1992 - Girondins Bordeaux; 1996 - Juventus Turin; 2001 - Real Madrid
  
• Greatest Match:
  Paris, July 12 1998. Scores two first half goals as France defeat Brazil 3-0 to win the World Cup Final for the first time.
  
• World's Most Expensive Player?:
  Currently. Zidane's transfer from Juventus Turin to Real Madrid in 2001 reportedy totalled a staggering $76 million.
  
• Awards:
  1996: European Super Cup and the World Club Cup with Juventus.
  1998: World Cup with France.
  1998: European Player of the Year award -- the Balon d'Or.
  1999: FIFA 1998 World Player of the Year.
  2000: Euro 2000 Championship with France. Named Player of the Tournament.
  2000: FIFA World Player of the Year for the second time.
  2002: European Champions League with Real Madrid.
  2002: World Club Cup with Real Madrid.
  2003: FIFA World Player of the Year for the Third time
  

Zinedine Zidane
An awesome player with immense talent, so much that, it made him a playing legend. Having previously won both the European and World Footballer of the Year awards, Zidane was voted the #1 European player of the past 50 years in UEFA's Jubilee poll. Recently Zidane announced retirement from football after the 2006 World Cup. It was a shock to the Madrid faithfuls. Zidane was quoted as saying in the programme before his last match at the Santiago Bernabeu against Villarreal,

I've really enjoyed these five years (in Real), 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 will play his last match for Real Madrid in next week's league match at Sevilla before hooking up with the France squad for the World Cup, which starts on June 9. I guess it is finally time to say Zizou.