Zinedine Zidane

Zidane in 2011, photo by PrPhotos

Birth Name: Zinedine Yazid Zidane

Place of Birth: Marseille, France

Date of Birth: 23 June, 1972

Ethnicity: Algerian Kabyle Berber

Zinedine Zidane is a French professional footballer, coach, and manager. He played as an attacking midfielder, and was a playmaker. He is considered one of the best ever in the history of the game. Zinedine has played for Cannes, Bordeaux, Juventus, and Real Madrid, and the French national team, and has coached and managed Real Madrid. He won the Ballon d’Or in 1998. He is known as “Zizou.”

Zinedine is of Kabyle Berber descent. His parents, Smaïl and Malika, emigrated to Paris from the village of Aguemoune in the Berber-speaking region of Kabylie in northern Algeria in 1953 before the start of the Algerian War.

Zinedine is married to Veronique Fernandez, who is of Spanish descent. The couple has four children, including professional footballers Enzo Zidane and Luca Zidane. Zinedine has described himself as “a non-practicing Muslim.”