Zidane and Saint-Etienne, the ties behind his Türkiye bow | OneFootball

Zidane will lead France for the first time in Türkiye on Friday night. According to Le Progres, it is a timely moment to revisit his connections with Saint-Etienne and the Loire.

The last time he set foot on Geoffroy-Guichard was 20 April 2015, and it was for a good cause. Aged 43 and serving as a UNDP ambassador alongside his friend Ronaldo, he fronted a world select side against a Saint-Etienne All Stars team.

The match supported countries affected by the Ebola outbreak, including Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia. The score mattered little, but Zidane and Ronaldo’s team, 5-3 up at the break, lost 9-7 after a Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang hat-trick.

Zidane did not score, yet his touch and vision stood out, nine years on from his retirement.

He said the occasion formed part of an annual effort to help people in need, adding that, having grown up in a large family, sharing is central to his life.

Source: Le Progres

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”