What Florentino Pérez does not want you to know about Zidane: his darker confession

The president of Real Madrid is very aware of a secret that the French coach, a symbol of Real Madrid, would prefer to have locked under a thousand keys

Zinedine Zidane  keeps a dark secret. A dark secret that the French coach, a true symbol of Madrid, would prefer to have locked under a thousand keys and that the president of the white entity, Florentino Pérez , knows very well. Before becoming one of the Galacticos of the current top Real Madrid leader, he played very seriously with Barça. An interview with DON BALL , 20 years ago, is proof of that. It is a document that, for your interest, we reproduce again , almost completely, under these lines.

It was the great winner of the past World.Two goals in the final gave France the first major title in its history. It is the big favorite to be named by FIFA and the ESM 'World Player of the Year'. He has a contract with Juventus until 2003, although he thinks that long before that date he will be playing in Spain. 

- He has already won the 'Onze de Oro' and is the top favorite to also win the 'World Player of the Year' (trophy awarded by FIFA in collaboration with the ESM and which will be delivered in Barcelona next February in a gala organized by DON BALL). The 98, without a doubt, has been the year of Zidane. 

Yes. I won my second 'Scudetto' with Juventus and the World Cup. It is now time to award personal awards and I sincerely believe that I deserve them. I have done merits during this year to win them. I would vote for Zidane, although other players have also shone throughout the year. 

- Like who? 

- Like Alessandro Del Piero. He has done exceptional things in Juventus. It is a pity that I had so many problems with the injuries. 

- Is Zidane the best footballer in the world? 

- I still have many things to improve in my game. 

- The 98 has been a great year for Zidane, although it could have been better if he had won the Champions League final in Amsterdam against Real Madrid. 

- A big disappointment. The truth is that after the defeat I was touched psychologically. I'm choking on the European Cup. In Amsterdam I lost my third consecutive European final. I lost the UEFA in 96 with the Girondins and those of the European Cup in 97 and 98 with Juventus. Anyway, I'm not a gaffe. I'm not a black cat. 

- And this year they have had a very bad time to qualify. 

 Thanks to Athletic for winning Galatasaray.We already had a bad time last year and then we reached the final. Hopefully the same story will be repeated this season. We have had many injured: Ferrara, Del Piero, Deschamps, Peruzzi, Fonseca ... 

- Let's talk about the future. You have a contract with Juventus until 2003. However, he recently said that he was not going to fulfill it. It is true? 

- Yes. I said it. 

- Why do you think you will not fulfill your contract? 

- Among other things because I want to play in another country. 

- Where? 

- In Spain. I want to play in the league because Spanish football attracts me a lot.Also because my wife is of Spanish origin.Her name is Veronique, but her last name is one hundred percent Spanish, Fernández. 

- And on what team would you like to play? 

- In Spain there are two teams in which every footballer would like to play: Barcelona and Real Madrid. Between the two I prefer Barcelona. In my wife's house there has always been a lot of talk about Barça and me, when I was little, I liked two teams very much: La Juventus and Barcelona. Now I play at Juventus, maybe in the future I can do it at Camp Nou. 

Could you sign for Barcelona next season?  

- Next season I will continue in Juventus.Then you will see. 

- Some Spanish media have already placed him in Barcelona. 

- I never said that I'm going to sign for Barça.I have never spoken to a Spanish journalist.The first interview I give is this, to DON BALL. 

- So… 

- After some statements I made in Italy, journalists invented a story. I am calm because I have never said that I have signed for Barcelona. 

- The Barcelona thing is not new. Before you signed for Juventus it was already said that Johan Cruyff wanted him for the Barça team. Even that I had him tied. 

- I do not know if there was interest in Barcelona or not about Zidane. What I can assure you is that I did not talk to Johan Cruyff. Only Juventus spoke with me. 

- You said earlier that some of his statements could create some confusion.What did he say? 

- I decided to put things in their place. I said that I probably would not finish my contract with Juventus because I was not satisfied with some things that had to change. 

- which?

 - If you always play badly, it is normal to receive criticism. What is not logical is that they criticize you when only three League games have been played and you have won the previous championship, the World Cup and you have reached the final of the European Cup. Against the Piazenza, for example, I discovered a banner that said 'wake up'. Before Inter, another one that read: 'Zizou, with us all our lives' or something similar. They were placed in the same place, in our stadium. The same person had written them. I do not like all this. 

- And there's nothing more than simple banners? 

- Maybe. I do not like some managers.