I Will Quit Within Five Years, Says Zidane
Tuesday 12th December 2000
Zinedine Zidane confirmed on Tuesday that he will retire from football
within the next five years after receiving the 2000 Fifa World Player of the
Year award for a second time.
Zizou rediscovered his form during Euro 2000 and has maintained it in the
early part of the season at Juventus. He suggested, though, that his best is
yet to come.
"I'm 28 years old, I'm mature now," he said. "But I hope my finest years are
ahead, although I know it will be hard to do better than winning a World Cup
and a European Championship. Unless, of course, we become World champions
again in Japan. Why not? It will be tough, but not impossible."
It would appear that, after Japan, Zizou is planning to wind his career down
and the France playmaker revealed that he would not still be playing in
2005.
"I think I have a few years left as a footballer," he said. "If not five, it
will be two or three. But you won't see me on the pitch anymore when I'm 33
years old, that's for sure."
Zidane, who also won the Fifa award in 1998, is only the second player after
Ronaldo to receive the honour twice and he spoke of his delight at being
hailed the best in the world once again.
"It's always a pleasure to win," he said. "It means you've done a good job.
But being in the top three already meant a lot to me, so being re-elected
two years after my first award in Barcelona is a real joy.
"I'm happy. If I had to single out the best moment of my career so far, it
would be the 1998 World Cup win, especially with it being held at home,
which is a very powerful thing."
Despite being one of the most successful players of all time, having won the
World Cup, the European Championship, and League titles and Cups in France
and Italy, Zidane is yet to win the Champions' League.
And he admitted: "Now I want to win something with Juventus, like I did when
I joined. It's true that the Champions' League is still missing. This year
that's gone, but I won't give up."
