This time, Florentino Perez did not find the words. Real Madrid's resigning president was however ready to convince Zinedine Zidane to re -stack with the Merengue. This is evidenced by the anecdote delivered by Cicinho, teammate of the tricolor world champion in Madrid.
“During her farewell match, Zidane was very moved. We were also because a real legend left the field. Florentino Pérez returned and praised all the players, one by one, and what happened afterwards remained engraved in our memories,
he said in the past. Robinho laughed and said, 'President, Zizou says that if he has a two -year contract at 6.5 million (Real's highest salary at the time, editor's note), he did not retire!' Everyone laughed, but not Florentino PĂ©rez who said, very seriously: 'Do you really want it? If you really want it, I bring you the paper right away. ' Zidane then thought for a moment and then dropped … 'No, no, I stop' “
Zinedine Zidane's decision was irrevocable. He explained it a few weeks earlier when he announced the stop of his career in front of the cameras of Canal+. He had blown up arriving “” At an age when it is more and more difficult ”. “It's especially my body”, he had added. But by his own admission, the poor results recorded by the Merengue also weighed in his decision.
Zinedine Zidane resigned
“I told myself that I couldn't leave for a year. It's been two years now that the results are not there, had he blown. I did not want to leave a third year knowing that I will not be able to do better than what I have done so far. ”
These bad results, symbolized by an elimination from the 1/8th finals of the Champions League and a second place in Liga 12 points from Barça, had also led Florentino Perez to resign after having castigated the egocentric and selfish mentality of the players and the lack of camaraderie. An observation undoubtedly shared by Zinedine Zidane
