Zidane to Stay at Juventus Until 2005
TURIN, Italy (September 8, 2000 3:46 p.m. EDT http://www.sportserver.com)- French midfield star Zinedine Zidane ended speculation that he might be moving to Spain when he announced on Friday he was staying at Italian First Division club Juventus until 2005.
Zidane's contract had been due to expire at the end of June 2004 but he agreed to a year's extension. The announcement effectively kills off rumors that he was heading for Barcelona or Real Madrid.
The smiling Zidane seemed relaxed as he spoke of his future with the Turin side and claimed that the League title was Juventus' priority for the coming season and not the Champions League, which he has never won.
"You can lose the Champions League in one match, the final, but winning the League title is the fruit of a full seasons labor," he explained.
"We're strong and will do better than last year. The defeat on the last day of the season (when Lazio took the title) still hurts. I would've prefered to lose by several points a month before the end of the season," he said.
