Few players have made as big an impact in high-profile matches as Zinedine Zidane. The current Real Madrid manager and former France international scored a brace in the 1998 World Cup final on home soil, netted one of the greatest goals in Champions League history as Los Blancos secured the trophy with victory over Bayer Leverkusen in 2002, and even earned a red card for an astonishing headbutt on Marco Materazzi in the final of the 2006 World Cup.
Another decisive moment came at Euro 2000, the tournament in which a talented France team arguably produced its best football. Roger Lemerre’s men arrived in Belgium and the Netherlands as one of the favourites to get their hands on the trophy having triumphed at the World Cup two years previously, and they got off to the perfect start with back-to-back victories over Denmark and Czech Republic.
A 3-2 defeat by the Dutch followed in their final group stage encounter, which meant France progressed to the knockout rounds as Group D runners-up rather than winners, which set up a mouth-watering clash with Spain in the quarter-finals.
It was in that tie that Zidane broke his duck for the tournament, the then-Juventus man opening the scoring with a superb free-kick shortly after the half-hour mark. Gaizka Mendieta levelled from the spot soon after, but France were back ahead before the end of the first half as Youri Djorkaeff beat goalkeeper Santiago Canizares at his near post with a powerful strike. That would be the final goal of the game; France were through to the last four, where Portugal were waiting following a 2-0 triumph over Turkey.
It was A Selecção who took the lead at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, Nuno Gomes firing the ball home thanks in large part to Sergio Conceicao’s tenacity. That seemed to spark France into action, with Zidane at the heart of a fantastic team move which ended with Thierry Henry’s shot from the corner of the box drifting over the crossbar. Les Bleus’ pressure eventually told in the 51st minute, with Henry rediscovering his scoring touch at just the right moment; from there, though, neither team was able to land a decisive blow and the match went to extra time.
Step forward Zidane. Once again demonstrating his immaculate sense of timing, it was France’s No.10 who won the game in dramatic fashion. With 117 minutes on the clock, Sylvain Wiltord’s shot was adjudged to have hit the hand of Abel Xavier, prompting referee Günter Benko – with help from his assistant – to award the world champions a penalty.
Zidane, the elegant, unflappable playmaker kept his cool, placing the ball into the top corner to send his side through to the final by virtue of a golden goal. It was a thrilling match in one of the most enjoyable international competitions of all time, which France went on to win with another extra-time success, this time against Italy. Zidane, unsurprisingly, was subsequently named Player of the Tournament.
