A tiny fraction of players enjoys a career as lustrous as Zinedine Zidane has enjoyed on all individual, domestic, and national stages.
In a career that lasted 17 years, Zidane won the World Cup, Champions League, Serie A, La Liga, among several other titles. He was the recipient of a plethora of awards including Ballon d’Or, FIFA World Player of the Year, UEFA Club Midfielder of the Year, French Player of the Year.
If the accolades of his playing days weren’t already impressive, he then managed to scale great heights even as a manager.
Zizou won the Champions League three times in succession with Real Madrid, a feat that still baffles many, for which he has been honored with numerous personal awards.
Making a pick over a better version of him, as a manager or as a player, might be a tough task but the Frenchman seems quite certain of his choice.
“I was a better footballer than a coach. In my head, I’ve always been a footballer,” Zidane stated during his pre-match press conference on Saturday. [via Marca].
“I’m not going to coach for 20 years. I don’t know how many [I will coach for]. I don’t plan anything, what encourages me is day to day. Then I’ll do other things.
“But as far as players are concerned, I am lucky to be able to coach the best, because I am at the best club in the world.”
