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Real give Zidane emotional Bernabeu send-off
By Simon Baskett
MADRID, May 7 (Reuters) - Zinedine Zidane scored for Real Madrid when he was given an emotional send-off by the club's fans on Sunday in his last match at the Bernabeu before his retirement after the World Cup.
With his side trailing 2-1 to Villarreal, the three-times World Player of the Year rose to the occasion when looped a header over keeper Mariano Barbosa and into the net after David Beckham had clipped the ball into the area.
Real ended up drawing the game 3-3, a result that allowed them to leapfrog Valencia and take second place in the Primera Liga a point ahead of Valencia and 12 behind Barcelona, who retained their title in midweek.
An 80,000 capacity crowd paid tribute to the 33-year-old France midfielder before kickoff by holding up a vast, white mosaic made up of shirts emblazoned with his name and the number five.
The Frenchman was given a standing ovation by the crowd while the video screens played highlights of his five-year career with the Spanish giants.
The player himself looked somewhat embarrassed by the tribute. He kept his head down and carried on with his warm-up exercises but briefly acknowledged the crowd before the match got underway.
Zidane's team mates all wore a shirt specially made for the occasion with "Zidane 2001-2006" embroidered below the club crest.
The Real Madrid playmaker was given another ovation when he was substituted five minutes from the final whistle and returned to the centre of the pitch after the match to thank the fans for their support.
Zidane joined Real for a world-record transfer fee of $66 million from Juventus in 2001, having been targeted by then club president Florentino Perez as a key part of his plans to construct a "Galactico" super team for the club's centenary season.
He had a difficult start at Real but soon became an integral part of the team and proved to be the most influential player in their run to the European Cup final where he scored a stunning winner in the 2-1 victory over Bayer Leverkusen in Glasgow.
The victory enabled Zidane to complete an impressive collection of winners' medals for club and country which included the 1998 World Cup and the European Championship in 2000.
He helped Real to win the league title in 2003, the club's last trophy, but his powers have been on the wane since then and at the end of April he announced his intention to retire after the World Cup in Germany.
GREAT MEMORIES
"I've really enjoyed these five years," Zidane was quoted as saying in the programme for the Villarreal match.
"There have been some bad times, but it will be the good ones I will always remember. I came here hoping to win the European Cup and I can leave happy as I have done that.
"I've got great memories of that game and I also had the good luck to score that goal in Glasgow. I'll never forget that moment.
"My departure forms part of football, I'm not afraid of retirement. I'm proud of my career because I've played with two of the biggest teams, Real Madrid and Juventus, and I've won a lot of trophies.
"I've always been a very competitive player and done all I can to win and I haven't been doing that recently. I'm retiring because I can no longer offer Real Madrid Zidane at 100 percent."
Zidane and former Real Madrid great Alfredo Di Stefano will be given a joint tribute on Tuesday.
Real will play Stade Reims, the side they beat to win the first of their nine European Cups in 1956, at the reserve team ground in Valdebebas which has been named after the Argentine.
Zidane will play his last match for Real in next week's league match at Sevilla before hooking up with the France squad for the World Cup, which starts on June 9.
By Simon Baskett
MADRID, May 7 (Reuters) - Zinedine Zidane scored for Real Madrid when he was given an emotional send-off by the club's fans on Sunday in his last match at the Bernabeu before his retirement after the World Cup.
With his side trailing 2-1 to Villarreal, the three-times World Player of the Year rose to the occasion when looped a header over keeper Mariano Barbosa and into the net after David Beckham had clipped the ball into the area.
Real ended up drawing the game 3-3, a result that allowed them to leapfrog Valencia and take second place in the Primera Liga a point ahead of Valencia and 12 behind Barcelona, who retained their title in midweek.
An 80,000 capacity crowd paid tribute to the 33-year-old France midfielder before kickoff by holding up a vast, white mosaic made up of shirts emblazoned with his name and the number five.
The Frenchman was given a standing ovation by the crowd while the video screens played highlights of his five-year career with the Spanish giants.
The player himself looked somewhat embarrassed by the tribute. He kept his head down and carried on with his warm-up exercises but briefly acknowledged the crowd before the match got underway.
Zidane's team mates all wore a shirt specially made for the occasion with "Zidane 2001-2006" embroidered below the club crest.
The Real Madrid playmaker was given another ovation when he was substituted five minutes from the final whistle and returned to the centre of the pitch after the match to thank the fans for their support.
Zidane joined Real for a world-record transfer fee of $66 million from Juventus in 2001, having been targeted by then club president Florentino Perez as a key part of his plans to construct a "Galactico" super team for the club's centenary season.
He had a difficult start at Real but soon became an integral part of the team and proved to be the most influential player in their run to the European Cup final where he scored a stunning winner in the 2-1 victory over Bayer Leverkusen in Glasgow.
The victory enabled Zidane to complete an impressive collection of winners' medals for club and country which included the 1998 World Cup and the European Championship in 2000.
He helped Real to win the league title in 2003, the club's last trophy, but his powers have been on the wane since then and at the end of April he announced his intention to retire after the World Cup in Germany.
GREAT MEMORIES
"I've really enjoyed these five years," Zidane was quoted as saying in the programme for the Villarreal match.
"There have been some bad times, but it will be the good ones I will always remember. I came here hoping to win the European Cup and I can leave happy as I have done that.
"I've got great memories of that game and I also had the good luck to score that goal in Glasgow. I'll never forget that moment.
"My departure forms part of football, I'm not afraid of retirement. I'm proud of my career because I've played with two of the biggest teams, Real Madrid and Juventus, and I've won a lot of trophies.
"I've always been a very competitive player and done all I can to win and I haven't been doing that recently. I'm retiring because I can no longer offer Real Madrid Zidane at 100 percent."
Zidane and former Real Madrid great Alfredo Di Stefano will be given a joint tribute on Tuesday.
Real will play Stade Reims, the side they beat to win the first of their nine European Cups in 1956, at the reserve team ground in Valdebebas which has been named after the Argentine.
Zidane will play his last match for Real in next week's league match at Sevilla before hooking up with the France squad for the World Cup, which starts on June 9.
