29 Aug 1999: Zinedine Zidane of Juventus during the Serie A match against Reggina at Stadio Delle Alpi in Turin, Italy. The match ended in a 1-1 draw. Mandatory Credit: Claudio Villa /Allsport
Zinedine Zidane reflected on his time at Juventus, his partnership with the legendary Alessandro Del Piero, and the pivotal dinner with Florentino Perez that led to his transfer to Real Madrid in the summer of 2001.
The iconic midfielder was one of the speakers at the Festival dello Sport in Trento over the weekend, alongside notable figures like Luciano Spalletti, Roberto Mancini, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Zidane on Juventus: ‘In France, you could lose away matches; at Juve, that’s never acceptable’
Zidane shared how joining Juventus from Bordeaux in 1996 fundamentally changed his understanding of winning.
“It was a beautiful experience. Coming from France, the quality of football was high, but Juventus was on another level. I learned the importance of winning consistently, even on the road. In France, losing away matches was sometimes acceptable; at Juve, it never was,” he stated.
He fondly recalled his relationship with former Juventus president Gianni Agnelli.
“What impressed me was that after a good game, even if we got back at four in the morning, he’d call me at six to speak in French and praise my performance. That’s the kind of gentleman he was.”
Among the remarkable talents he played with at Juventus was club legend Del Piero.
“He was an extraordinary player, one of the best Italy has ever seen,” said Zidane. “I was fortunate to spend several years with him, alongside others like Padovano, Vieri, and Boksic. But Alex had something special.”
When asked why Juventus struggled to clinch the Champions League during their peak years in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Zidane remarked:
“The Champions League is incredibly competitive. We reached the final twice and came up short both times. Winning requires a lot of elements to be in place, along with strong backing from the club.”
Reflecting on his decision to transfer to Real Madrid in 2001, Zidane recounted how it stemmed from a dinner with Florentino Perez.
“During a gala dinner in Munich, Florentino approached me amidst a crowd of 30 or 40 people, handed me a napkin with an invitation to join Real, and made me feel like it was now or never—stay at Juve forever or make the move.”