Hardly he set foot on the Algerian soil than the paradox took shape. Warmly welcomed by supporters at Algiers airport, Luca Zidane was able to measure the popular fervor that surrounds the Fennecs. “” I'm happy to be here, it's a pride ”he said, visibly touched. But far from the enthusiasm of fans, in television studios, the tone was very different. A virulent media outing, signed by a journalist in sight, reminded that his integration into selection would not be a long quiet river. The legitimacy trial has already started.
“We do not accept that he jumps above all the guards!” »»
The words, made on the El Heddaf TV channel by journalist Mohamed Chikhi, are of rare hardness. “We do not accept that Luca Zidane comes and jumps above all the guards!” “, he launched, arguing that it was a question ofe “principle and justice in the granting of opportunities”. According to him, the fact that Zidane plays
“In the second Spanish division does not give it the right to priority”. This frontal criticism immediately installs a climate of mistrust, suggesting that the newcomer would seek to burn the steps.
This attack is indicative of an ambient skepticism in a part of the Algerian opinion. The son of Zinedine Zidane is criticized for his late choice for Algeria, his level of performance in club and his lack of cultural link with the country. These criticisms, whether legitimate or not, are transformed here into a trial of intention. We judge the player not on what he could bring, but on what he represents: a “stranger” who would come to take the place of the locals. The principle of sports competition, where the best plays, seems to be relegated to the background.
The burden of the name Zidane
Difficult not to see, in this hostility, the weight of a surname as heavy to wear. If the coach Vladimir Petkovic assumed his choice by speaking of
“Qualities” That the player could bring, it seems that for some, the name “Zidane” is both an supposed pass and a handicap. We don't forgive him for anything, and each stage of his career will be scrutinized with a tenfold requirement. He is not a guard like the others, he is the “son of”, with all that that implies fantasies and prejudices.
The contrast between the reception of fans at the airport and the harshness of these media remarks is striking. He draws the two facets of football Algeria: an immense popular passion, ready to welcome a new talent, and a sometimes suspicious media environment, where the debates on identity and legitimacy are omnipresent. For Luca Zidane, the challenge will be twofold: convince on the field by his performances, and outside by his attitude. The road promises to be long.
