Six things you might not know about Zinedine Zidane

But here are six things you may not know about Zinedine Zidane, from his remarkable trophy-winning statistics as Real Madrid coach to starring in his own TV documentary.

Here are the six things you might not know about Zidane:

1. He averages a trophy every 19 matches as Real Madrid coach

The 2019-20 LaLiga Santander title is Zinedine Zidane’s 11^th as Real Madrid coach in just three and a half seasons, a figure which rounds out, incredibly, at around one trophy every 19 games. Also, he’s yet to lose a Champions League knockout tie, and is the only coach to win Ol’ Big Ears three seasons in a row. Having said that, there’s nothing quite like winning LaLiga for Zidane, as he made clear this Thursday after wrapping up the title: “The Champions League is the Champions League, but this title makes me happier because LaLiga is what it’s all about.”

2. He is Real Madrid’s first French manager

Real Madrid have had many French players over the years and they’ve had head coaches from 16 different countries. But ZZ is the first Frenchman to sit in the club’s dugout as coach. He first took over in January 2016, staying on until May 2018 before taking over again in March 2019. Taking into account this season’s LaLiga Santander title, he’s already won 11 trophies as manager. Remarkable.

3. Just one trophy eludes him

Zidane has won almost everything there is to win in football, from the World Cup and Champions League to the Ballon d’Or and a horde of domestic titles. But the Copa del Rey remains elusive, both as a player and manager. He won the 2014 Copa del Rey as an assistant to Carlo Ancelotti, but to date he is yet to win Spain’s domestic cup competition as a leading man.

4. His sons are following in his footballing footsteps

Zidane is the father of four boys, all of which have made careers for themselves in the world of football. Midfielder Enzo is currently on the books of Almeria UD and pushing for promotion out of LaLiga SmartBank, Spain’s second tier. Goalkeeper Luca is currently out on loan from Real Madrid at Racing Santnader, while Theo and Elyaz and still underage and part of the youth academy at Los Blancos.

5. The most popular Frenchman of all-time

In a 2004 poll in leading French newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche, Zidane was voted as the most popular Frenchman of all time. The poll wasn’t limited to sports stars but took all public figures into account, with Zidane’s footballing exploits seeing him picked ahead of other iconic personalities. ZZ explained at the time that he was proud of how someone from an immigrant background could come top in such a poll, highlighting the importance of racial harmony in modern day France.

6. He starred in his own documentary

Back in 2006, ZZ was the star of French documentary Zidane, Un Portrait Du 21e Siecle (“Zidane, a 21^st century portrait”). This very unique show saw a film crew focus 17 cameras on the Frenchman for the entirety of a Real Madrid match against Villarreal in 2005. But that’s not all he’s done in the world of film; he has also starred in movies such as Goal! II (2007) alongside the likes of Sergio Ramos, David Beckham and Thierry Henry and Asterix at the Olympic Games (2008).

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