Zinedine Zidane: The Master of a Generation

Zinedine Zidane. An unforgettable name once heard.

A man who I can say, mastered football. A genius to many and a villain to some. He was a footballer who revived the hope of a Nation.

Starting his career at the likes of Cannes and Bordeaux, he later went on to play for Juventus and Real Madrid, however for the French, it is what he did with France which represents this genius at best.
  
1998 was the year in which the world saw him in a different light.

Who thought two headers would change the way his future unfolded. While the years seemed to pass by this footballer was getting better and better.

His last dedication to football was in 2006, The World Cup, in which I considered him to be at best. Eight years which changed the way people viewed football. Eight years in which a higher boundary was set to becoming the best player in the World.
 
When we talk about the best in this day and age, we talk about players like Messi, Ronaldo, Rooney, Torres and Kaka. A player who was lucky enough to be playing in Zidane's generation was Ronaldinho.

At the time, he was the closest a player could get to Zidane, but even he had to calm himself down at one stage. Still at the "young" age of 30 and Ronaldinho shows little signs of what he use to be able to produce.

One must remember Zidane was playing at the age of 34, when he was recking teams apart (at times by himself).

The players of the new generation can near enough master at talents like speed and power. But I still have not seen a player like the control Zidane once possessed. I have never seen a player like the thinking he use to do. Not one player can come close to how he could control and lift a team.

You might argue and say a player like Messi or Ronaldo can win a game on their own. Yes I give you that, the talents coming through are becoming better and at a young age they are able peak, but they have not been able to win trophies like the World Cup or the Euros.

As well as winning 13 trophies with clubs, Zidane was able to lead France through the World Cup, through Euro 2000 and through two Confederations Cup. All in the span of six years.

You might be asking at this point, what am I exactly coming to?

To be honest, I'm not really coming to any point, however I believe a player of his level should have been recognised more.

His unfortunate ending to his career seemed to spark negativity about him. We all knew a header was coming but not exactly in the way it did.

He was a player who played with love and passion, and I fear football is loosing the amount of players like this.

Players coming though have got the lifestyle, money and fame within a few years of playing.

The true passion for the game is being lost and football is not becoming the same.

Football matches are becoming more and more about winning and not about entertaining the crowds.

I wonder to myself if we will ever see a better solo performance in a World Cup, than Zidane against Brazil in the quarterfinals (2006).

It's a game which I cannot explain by words, and if you found a passion in football after that World Cup, I strictly suggest you watch the game.

The 1-0 does not project the game as a whole. For me to remember the World Cup final (1998) at the age of four, because of one man tells you a bit about him.

I pray that one day I can watch a more skillful player than him, not that I didn't like him, but so I can be entertained once again by the game I once called "The beautiful game".

And for a new master to lead this generation forward.