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Real Madrid legend Zinedine Zidane narrates how he came about wearing the number 5 jersey.
French football legend Zinedine Zidane has narrated the comical story that led him to start wearing his iconic number 5 jersey.
The now-retired midfielder is generally considered one of the greatest to have ever played the game, making everything pertaining to him have an iconic air to it.
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13:01 - 10.11.2023
GOAT for life: Messi tops Ronaldo and Michael Jordan in top 10 ranking of all-time greatest sports stars
Lionel Messi has been ranked ahead of CR7 in a recent poll to determine the GOAT of sports.
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12:09 - 10.11.2023
I missed wearing No. 10 at PSG — Messi
Barcelona legend Lionel Messi reveals that he missed wearing the number 10 on his back while at Paris Saint-Germain.
This included his jersey number, as Zidane brought reverence to the typically unexciting number 5 jersey, which was traditionally associated with defenders.
His influence is such that Real Madrid's big-money signing and LALIGA sensation, Jude Bellingham, opted for that kit number to follow in the footsteps of Zidane, whom he revealed to be his idol.
Zidane tells the story of how the #5 came to be
The 1998 World Cup winner, in conversation with Lionel Messi, revealed that his wearing of the number 5 at Real Madrid was not premeditated.
Zidane moved from Juventus to Madrid in 2001, and with the Old Lady, he donned the number 21 jersey. He also wore the more positionally appropriate number 10 jersey for France, but his move coincided with the bizarre number 5 jersey.
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The Marseille-born coach told Messi that it was all the doing of Florentino Perez, as the Real Madrid president, being old-fashioned, abhorred first-team starters going above the traditional numbers 1-11.
Every other number was occupied at the time of Zidane's arrival, with the more appropriate number 10 owned by Luis Figo, but for the number five, which was vacated by Manolo Sanchis after he moved out of the club.
Zidane explained that Perez convinced him to take the number, and being an unproven quantity at the Bernabeu, he agreed without a fuss.
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