Véronique has stood by the French legend for over two decades. (Instagram)
Rafael Benitez is out at Real Madrid, paging the way for the Zidane era. It’s long been known that the legendary French player was tapped to be the next manager, but many thought he would take another year as assistant manager. But now Zidane is the man in charge, and hopefully can inject life into a club that is a global power, but has been booed several times at home in the past few weeks.
By his side throughout his career has been his wife, Véronique Zidane. The pair have known each other for practically Zidane’s entire career, meeting when he was 17. They’ve been married for over 20 years, and now have four sons. Not surprisingly, all four sons are in the Real Madrid academy as promising young footballers.
Here’s what you need to know about Mrs. Zidane:
1. They’ve Been Married Since 1994
Véronique was studying to be a dancer when she met Zinedine. (Instagram)
He’s been called moody and enigmatic at times, but Zinedine Zidane is really just shy. So shy, in fact, that it’s a miracle he and Véronique even met.
According to this interview, the pair crossed paths dozens of times before they would speak to each other. Zidane was only 16 and in the rural French area of Provence, playing for AS Cannes. The pair lived in a very strict building, with girls rooms on one side of the hallway and boys on the other. After passing for months, one day Zinedine let out a small “hello” as they passed. He did it again the next day, and soon the pair would talk regularly. Within a few weeks, he moved into a small studio and she joined him.
2. Véronique is a Former Dancer & Model
Veronique and Zinedine have four children, all boys, and all soccer players. (Instagram)
Having been married to one of the best players of all-time means that Véronique didn’t work much, but had aspirations of being a dancer. She wanted to teach dance when she met him, and it’s unfortunate she has so far been unable to pass that passion onto a daughter. The Zidane family has four sons, none of whom went on to dance. Unsurprisingly, they are all promising soccer players.
3. Zidane Pitched in to Support the Club Team in Véronique’s Hometown
The Zidane family loves their football, but also travels together regularly. (Instagram)
In 2013, Zidane was was with his wife visiting his in-laws in Rodez, a small town in the south of France. While there, he was visited by the owners of the local football club, who explained that the team was falling on hard times financially. Zidane pledged to support the club, both financially and with occasional appearances at matches.
Zidane explained why he made the contribution:
“I come from the streets, a difficult neighborhood. I have never forgotten my roots. It’s not because you work for the biggest club in the world that you forget everything beforehand. It’s thanks to my in-laws that I have discovered this club and family. I love this region and spending time here and I feel at home”.
4. The Zidane Family is Filled With Soccer Prospects
Luca Zidane, pictured with his mom, plays goalkeeper to separate himself from comparisons to his dad. (Instagram)
Imagine in ten years a Madrid squad filled with stars- all coached by their dad.
Now that Zidane is the manager of Real Madrid, that scenario is officially in play. A former dancer, surely Véronique would have loved to have a daughter, with whom she could share her passion for the art. Instead she had four sons, and they’re all promising athletes.
The oldest is Enzo, who has played internationally for Spain and is the star of Real Madrid’s third squad. Next is Luca, who plays for Madrid’s U-17 team as a goalkeeper. The youngest are Theo (13) and Elyaz (10), who both play for the Madrid boys’ teams.
5. The Oldest Son Wears His Mother’s Name
Their oldest son, Enzo, plays using his mother’s name and is a standout on the Madrid reserve squad. (Instagram)
All the Zidane boys may play on thesame field someday, but Enzo is the one who is most ready to contribute to his dad’s team. Enzo has a promising career ahead of him, and tried to alleviate some of the pressure by not using his father’s name. He goes by Enzo Fernandez, honoring his mother’s name and family.
But when it comes to social media, Enzo wants to make sure you can find him. 192K followers can find him on Instagram as Enzo Zidane.
If Enzo continues to rise, he could play a major role in international soccer. He currently plays youth ball for Spain, but is eligible to change before playing at the senior level. He can switch to France because of his father, but could also play for Algeria because of his grandfather.