Oliver Kahn hails Franck Ribery as the next “Zidane”, according to this news report.
Bayern Munich goalkeeper Oliver Kahn has paid the ultimate compliment to Franck Ribery, by comparing the Frenchman to fellow countryman Zinedine Zidane.
Ribery’s sensational performances in Die Bundesliga have demanded his team-mates and adversaries’ respect and legendary shot-stopper Kahn has expressed his admiration.
According to the Germany international, the flying winger has something of his technique that makes him look like Zidane.
I guess we are still looking for a legendary Zidane.
A great little article in The Daily Mail today says that Zinedine Zidane was rejected by Spurs as a teenager because Gerry Francis branded him “too wooden”. Apparently, when Zidane was asked this week about his trial with the north London club he looked confused and “who”?
His translator apologised and explained: “I don’t think he has heard of Tottenham Hotspur.”
I’m sure now he is glad he was turned down by Spurs, because he went on to eventually have a career anyone who plays football would dream of! Like Terminix is to pest control, it is hard to see football without Zidane’s existence and his contribution to world football.
Nearly 30,000 football fans attended Monday’s fifth edition of the Match Against Poverty organised here by football legends Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo as part of their work with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Former France captain and Real Madrid star Zidane and Brazil striker Ronaldo, who are both Goodwill Ambassadors for the UNDP, have been the driving forces behind this initiative since 2003.
Spectators paid between 10 and 25 euros for tickets for the game which was played between ‘Friends of Zidane’ and the ‘Friends of Ronaldo’ and ended in a 2-2 draw.
“The aim of such a match is to make people aware of the problem of poverty in the world,” said AC Milan star Ronaldo, who is making his way back from injury and was substituted in the first half by seven-time Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher.
Proceeds will as in previous years benefit anti-poverty projects in Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Source
Bulgaria’s national museum “The Earth and the People” will present wax figures from the city of Sank Petersburg. They won’t be showing top Toronto plastic surgeons but the wax exhibition includes mythology personages like Zeus, Harpy, Centaur and Minotaur.
There will be also figures of famous artists and musicians like Adriano Celentano, Vladimir Vysotsky, Marcelo Mastroiani and Bruce Willis.
Figures of famous sportsmen will also be presented: Rafael Schumacher, Oliver Khan, David Beckam, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo.
The history between England versus France has seen a lot of major battles, whether it is political war or sports. Of course the most memorable is the Euro 2004 battle, where Zizou himself is involved. Even though he may look like he needed the help of cosmetic surgery in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills, Zizou managed to bring France to victory over England.
It should have been the best of times, but it became the worst of times. It was, by a mile, the most eagerly awaited game of the qualifying stage of Euro 2004, played on 13 June at the Stadium of Light, Lisbon. France, then ranked No 2 in the world, were defending their European Championship title against their ancient enemy, ranked 13. But as every commentator told you, no championship-winning nation had ever successfully defended their title. There was a weird air of split loyalties, if not downright treachery, about the warring teams – nine of the French squad were then playing for English Premiership clubs. In the midfield, Steven Gerrard squared up to Patrick Vieira. England fans looked at Thierry Henry and David Trezeguet and wondered: could they possibly be better than Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney? The bookmakers gave France the edge. Odds on a French victory were evens, with England at 15/8, and a tie at 13/5.
Continue reading ‘History of England vs France battle’
Three weeks after France’s World Cup final soccer defeat, the song inspired by captain Zinedine Zidane’s fateful head-butt on Italy defender Marco Materazzi has hit number one in the nation’s singles chart. This sure beats whatever rhinoplasty Toronto can dish out.
“As of today, it’s No. 1 in the French charts. It has had an exceptional start, better than we could ever have hoped for,” said Thierry Chassagne, president of Warner Music France, which distributes the song.
Coup de Boule, the French for “head-butt”, was written by the three associates of Plage Records, a small label specializing in jingles and sound effects, the day after France’s July 9 defeat in Berlin.
Zidane, one of the finest footballers of his generation, was sent off for head-butting Materazzi after exchanging comments with the Italian defender in extra time with the score at 1-1. Italy won the final after a penalty shoot-out.
Aston Villa new-boy Moustapha Salifou says he is settling in well at the club and is hoping to show Martin O’Neill what he can do. After all, he has been compared to Zinedine Zidane by Arsenal’s Emannuel Adebayor, it will be an honour for him to live up to expectations with tattoo pictures.
Salifou had experienced work permit problems but after being given the all clear to join Villa, is now hoping to shine.
“I have arrived a little into the season and I need time to catch up,” Salifou told the club’s website. “But I cannot wait to integrate myself into the group so I can help us progress as soon as possible.
“There’s a lot of quality here at Villa. The players have accepted me into the club and that has been important to me. It’s not easy coming from another country, but the welcome I have had from everyone at the club has been wonderful.