Zidane the approachable classmate, remembered from his Limoges management course | OneFootball

Between 2011 and 2013, Zinédine Zidane joined CDES Limoges’s general manager programme to broaden his horizons, and quickly became a well-liked classmate. The experience ultimately reaffirmed that the pitch appealed more than an office.

According to Le Progres, CDES co-founder Jean-Pierre Karaquillo initially feared a media circus when Zidane applied, then met the 1998 world champion and welcomed him in 2011.

The seventh intake, the 7e Compagnie, brought together 18 former elite athletes across several sports. Guéric Kervadec remembers an approachable, attentive peer who blended into the group.

Encouraged by DTN François Blaquart and long-time France staffer Henri Emile, Zidane pursued the two-year path to widen his view while weighing his next step. Ex-rugby forward Julien Frier says he observed the rules despite a packed schedule.

The cohort travelled in France and abroad for practical cases, and Zidane engaged with crisis-management and human-resources sessions. Monday night futsal with Eric Carrière helped cement bonds.

There was banter with Olivier Dacourt, yet he remained serious, even hosting the group in Madrid with a Bernabeu tour. He sometimes worried about holding others back as tray lunches kept things discreet, his aura undimmed five years after retiring.

Frier recalls his charisma and fame vividly, including a night in Clermont at Aurélien Rougerie’s complex when, despite a private booking, hundreds waited outside and they escorted him to his car.

In the 7e Compagnie he forged friendships and clarified his direction. The learning was valuable, but a general manager role was not for him.

Source: Le Progres

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