Gareth Messenger

La Castellane – a council estate with its high-rise tower blocks in the northern suburbs of Marseille – officially known in French as a “quartier difficile”, a sensitive zone. The first wave of the population here came from Algeria and Morocco in the Fifties and Sixties. Now it is inhabited by a vast array of people from the French-speaking world. 

Marseille, despite its picturesque bay and port area, has also been one of the most deprived cities in France. Yet from that, comes one of the most gifted footballers to ever grace the planet. 

Zidane has previously stated his upbringing in the dusty wasteland of La Castellane acted as a symbol for bigger and better things.

“I was lucky to come from a difficult area. It teaches you not just about football but also life.” 

It’s why in a friendly between France and Algeria, the usually subdued Zidane, spoke out about his father’s identity – after he was booed and abused during the game at the Stade de France. 

“My father is an Algerian, proud of who he is, and I am proud that my father is Algerian.”

This came about after Jean-Marie Le Pen, leader of the Front National, was hissing in the media about the racial origins of the France national team. 

Zidane’s footballing heritage began on the streets of La Castellane. At the age of ten he received his first player’s licence after joining the junior team of a local club, and over the next few years spent times changing between various sides.

It’s at one of those clubs, Septemes-les-Vallons, where his journey to the big time became a reality. After being selected to attend a training camp run by the French Football Federation, at the age of 14, Zidane’s talents were spotted by a scout of AS Cannes.

Zidane’s first coaches when he moved to Cannes, realised quickly that he was a sensitive boy, who would not hold back whenever anybody insulted his race or his family. Channelling this anger became a priority for Jean Varraud, who quickly used Zidane’s temper to try and harness something greater.

Varraud has previously said that Zidane’s first few weeks at Cannes were spent mainly on cleaning duty as punishment for punching an opponent who mocked his background.

Eventually, that punishment paid dividends. Zidane made his professional debut with Cannes on 19 May 1989 in a cup game against Nantes. He scored his first ever goal for Cannes nearly two years later, ironically also against Nantes. On the pitch, a raw boy was quickly becoming the beating heart of the team, showcasing his extraordinary technique. It’s an ability that helped propel Cannes to its first ever European football spot by qualifying to the UEFA Cup. 

It also brought Bordeaux into play.

Zidane was sold to Bordeaux in the 1992-93 season. He enjoyed a prosperous career there, winning the 1995 Intertoto Cup and finishing runner-up against Bayern Munich in the 1995-96 UEFA Cup.

Zidane’s performances were also attracting interest across the Channel. Premier League champions Blackburn expressed interest, but the club’s chairman Jack Walker told manager Kenny Dalglish “Why do you want to sign Zidane when we have Tim Sherwood?!”

Zidane was also offered to Newcastle for a fee in excess of £1 million, but the club turned the offer down stating the French starlet was not good enough for the English top-flight. So, liked he had learnt to do throughout his life, Zidane took those negatives and turned it into a positive as he was awarded Ligue 1 Player of the Year in 1996. 

Those performances brought about even more offers. This time east of France. More specifically: the UEFA Champions League winners, Juventus. 

By the time he arrived in Turin, Zidane had become known for his discipline and composure, both on and off the pitch. His emotions were in check after he was taken under the tutelage of Rolland Courbis, a fellow man of Marseille, who understood the workings of Zidane’s mind and appreciated the heritage behind him. 

But even so, in the early days in Italy, Zidane’s temperament became a problem. The chinks in the now shielded armour were showing, especially in the big rival matches. For somebody who continued to be reserved and reluctant to enjoy the lifestyle Turin brought off the pitch, on it the animal within existed.

It’s probably during those tougher days where Zidane learnt to adapt to the mental and emotional physicality that came with being in Serie A. Continued success on the pitch followed. He won two Serie A titles, the Italian Super Cup, UEFA Super Cup and another Intertoto Cup in his time at Juventus. He was at the time regarded as one of the best midfielders in world football. 

Just like his tough start to life on the streets of La Castellance, a bigger and more bruising challenge stood in front of him again. This time, with Real Madrid, for a world-record fee.