Zidane Reaches Turning Point With Juventus
Copyright � 1998 Nando.net
Copyright � 1998 Reuters
TURIN, Italy (Sep 9, 1998 - 11:37 EDT) - France's World Cup hero Zinedine Zidane believes that his career in Italy with Juventus has reached a turning point.
Zidane sealed his worldwide reputation with two goals against Brazil in the final of France 98, but his progress in the Serie A has been held back by a lack of consistency since arriving from Bordeaux in 1996.
Now the 26-year-old playmaker believes he is ready to overcome the timidity which has sometimes characterised his performances.
"The success in the World Cup has given me that extra bit of self- confidence that perhaps I haven't had in the past," he admitted.
"Now I feel ready to achieve more and to do better than in my first two years in Italy, I'm ready to be more decisive.
"I can't make any predictions about how many goals I'll score this season, because in the past I've never managed to reach my target.
"All I can say is that I'm hoping to score more than last season," he said of his six-goal tally.
More goals would also bring the gifted Frenchman closer to this year's Golden Ball award, although he tried to play the issue down.
"I'm not thinking about the Golden Ball," he claimed. "There are a lot of good players around. If it happened, it would make me very happy, but if it didn't, my life would go on just the same."
The one ambition which Zidane and his teammates have set themselves next year is to lift the European Cup, after having lost the last two finals.
"We all know that the Champions League is a very prestigious and very difficult objective to reach," he said.
"But you've got to get to the final first, so for the moment we should just concentrate on making a good start against Galatasaray."
Juventus face the Turks next week and Zidane is taking nothing for granted.
"They are a good side, and a dangerous one," he told the Gazzetta dello Sport. "We'll be in trouble if we underestimate them."
