Ballon d'Or 1998 after the World Cup won by the French team against Brazil, then best player in Euro 2000 during the coronation of the Blues against Italy on a gold goal by David Trezeguet, Zinedine Zidane could never have signed in Real Madrid. It was not until the summer of 2001 that the native of Marseille, then aged 29, left Juventus to join Casa Blanca. Florentino Pérez, the Merengues boss, absolutely wanted to make it its star playmaker and made it the most expensive player in the history of the round ball at the time, up to 75 million euros.
History could have been well difference. Elected President of Real in July 2000, Florentino Pérez counted, however, recruited Luis Figo from the entrance to Barça and “Zizou” to Juventus! It was therefore not done during this offseason, after a secret but fairly incredible soap opera in which Alain Migliaccio, the agent of the number 10 of the Blues, did everything to delay the deadline. It is Marc Roger, the other great agent of the tricolor players of the time (Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, Claude Makelele), who tells it in an interview with RMC.
Zinédine Zidane at his signature at Real Madrid in 2001.
Going to the hotel of the French team in Belgium, in the middle of Euro 2000, to manage the transfer of Sylvain Wiltord to Arsenal, Marc Roger then met Zinédine Zidane: “I taught Zidane that there was an appointment for him the next day with Real Madrid. He did not know, his agent had not told him and it was I who organized the meeting. Zidane did not know it and I said to him: 'Call Alain and ask him if there is an appointment' And Alain told him 'I was waiting before talking to you, I thought it was not serious, it's Real Madrid, it's complicated' »».
“You have to take care of Zidane”
According to Marc Roger, Alain Migliaccio did not want to see Zidane from Juventus. “We are in 2000, there is an appointment in Marseille but it is not done, Alain Migliaccio does not make the transfer, he is a little afraid of (Luciano) Moggi (The Director General of Juve, editor's note)it has a little sulphurous reputation, the transfer is not realized ”says the agent to RMC. A few weeks later, during a UEFA gala, Florentino Pérez directly agreed with the Ballon d'Or 98 and will therefore be able to have it signed in 2001, for the great story that we know (a champions League as a player, three in a row as a coach).
Florentino Pérez also asked Marc Roger to facilitate the transfer. The French agent (then ephemeral president of the Servette de Genève) says: “In September 2000, Florentino said to me: 'You have to take care of Zidane because I no longer trust Alain Migliaccio, he did nothing to make it happen'I told Florentino that he had made him sign at Juve and that it was going to put Zidane in the overhang. I said to him: 'Next year, you will do it'. It is a regret because if in September 2000 I go to Turin, I become the agent of Zidane ”. The agent commission for this historic transfer would have been well high.
