Zidane’s Italian education left its mark

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·2 October 2026

Zidane’s Italian education left its mark

At 24, Zidane crossed the Alps to join Juventus in the summer of 1996, a move that would shape him.

He spent five seasons in Turin, winning matches and titles, adding muscle and deepening his tactical understanding. According to L'Équipe, those years also sealed lasting friendships.

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Off the pitch, he learned to savour pasta cooked with bite, never overdone, and coffee as it is served there.

He grew in every sense during that spell, and Marcello Lippi, his first Juventus coach, later summed it up.

Lippi said Zidane would always carry a little of Italy within him.

Source: L'Équipe

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

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Zidane’s Italian education left its mark | OneFootball

Zidane’s Italian education left its mark

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