Zidane Humble After Proud Performance
MILAN, Italy (AFP) -- Zinedine Zidane was basking in the spotlight of Italian soccer on Monday, as praise showered down on the Frenchman for his sparkling performance in Juventus' latest victory.
The Zebras have now stormed three points clear at the top of the Serie A, with Zidane rounding off his display on Sunday with a superb solo goal as Juventus beat Reggina 2-0 away.
Juventus' win was also a shot across the bows of title rivals Lazio, who had played in Reggio Calabria the previous week and managed only a 0-0 draw.
But Zidane, who remains as sombre off the pitch as he is illuminating on it, tried to play down his contribution and insisted that Juventus' real strength was their team effort.
Reggina showed their southern pride against Italy's most successful club and Zidane admitted: "It is a difficult ground. Not many teams have won here.
"But we managed it and we played good football, especially in the first half. I'm pleased about that, and the fact that we're clear at the top of the table. But let's not have any talk about leaving the others behind. "Inter and Roma both won and there's a long way to go yet."
As for himself, Zidane told reporters: "I didn't have a great game. But I did score a great goal. I don't know if it was my best ever - I scored one like it for Bordeaux against Betis Seville in the UEFA Cup.
"But more than the goal or our place in the league table, what I'm really happy about is how the team have been playing for the last six or seven matches now. We've all improved and we're always winning."
And he insisted: "The real strength of this team is not Zidane, or anyone else, but the fact that we're all playing well and playing together."
Zidane tried to deflect some of the spotlight onto striker Darko Kovacevic, who in the Serie A had always been passed over in favour of star duo Alessandro Del Piero and Filippo Inzaghi.
The Yugoslav had scored 14 goals since arriving from Real Sociedad last summer and celebrated his first ever league start with a goal on Sunday.
"Kovacevic has always worked hard," said Zidane. "He started a league match for the first time and proved that he's as good as Del Piero and Inzaghi."
However, Zidane's latest performance was hailed in headlines across Italy.
Nine months previously, the morning after a humbling defeat to Manchester United in the European Cup semi-finals, Tuttosport had branded Zidane "useless" and called on Juventus to sell him.
On Monday, the same Turin paper managed to cram a dozen superlatives into just two sentences to describe the Frenchman.
And then it added: "There's no embarassment in comparing him to Michel Platini" - Juventus' former hero in a number 10 shirt and the Frenchman who recommended Zidane to the Turin club.
For the Corriere dello Sport, Zidane was "as beautiful as sunshine" while the Gazzetta added: "Don't be fooled by the figures: even if Juventus don't score many goals, ones like Zidane's yesterday are worth 10.
