Zizou becomes 7th manager to win Champions League as player and manager

Zinedine Zidane loves making history. As a player, the Marseille-born Frenchman, with Algerian roots, was arguably the most gifted midfielder of his time. He made football look simple, with his grace, simplicity and elegance, with which he mesmerized opponents and fans alike. He was a midfield dancer, who danced mostly to the tunes of the Bernabeu orchestra, where he played at his peak.

Zizou’s reward came with title wins in Italy and Spain, World Cup and European Championship wins with France in 1998 and 2000.

He only got to drink from the Champions league cup once. But it was a memorable sip after volleying home a Roberto Carlos flank to help Real Madrid beat German side, Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 in the summer of 2002.

Now, as a manager, he has become the seventh man to win Ol’ Big Ears as player and coach, after his teaam, Real Madrid shoved aside city rivals, Atletico 5-3 on penalties on their way to winning the trophy for the eleventh time.

Zidane had replaced Rafael Benitez as coach at the Bernabeu only in January. At that point Real was threatened with the prospect of a second successive season without a major trophy.

But Zizou did a good work in making the team recover from a crushing 0-4 loss to arch rivals, Barcelona and then forcefully finished well in the La Liga. And now they have broken hearts in Barcelona and the other side of Madrid by ending the year in big style with Europe’s biggest silverware in club football.