Zidane expected to quit France team

France international Zinedine Zidane is set to announce his retirement from international football.

According to French media, the 32-year-old playmaker will make his decision public in a 10-minute pre-recorded interview with television channel Canal Plus at 7.45pm local time (6.45pm Irish time) tonight.

“Zidane will explain why he will not play with Les Bleus any more,” reported French newspaper L’Équipe, whose front page headline reads ‘Zidane stops’.

The retirement of the Real Madrid playmaker will follow that of former captain Marcel Desailly, and defenders Lilian Thuram and Bixente Lizarazu, who all announced their decision to quit internationals following Euro 2004 this summer.

The decision of Zidane and company to hang up their boots marks the end of a glorious era in French football which saw Les Bleus win both the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 in an unprecedented spell of success for the country.

Zidane has left a whole nation on tenterhooks since the end of Euro 2004 after hinting that he might be calling time on Les Bleus.

His meeting with newly-appointed national coach Raymond Domenech on August 4 was not enough to persuade ‘Zizou’ to stay on, although he had asked for more time to consider his decision.

Domenech, who later today will announce his squad for France’s friendly with Bosnia-Herzegovina on August 18, was clinging on to hope that Zidane would still be available to him, but that no longer seems to be the case.

Zidane became a national hero when during the 1998 World Cup final he netted the first two goals in a 3-0 win over defending champions Brazil.

He was also the main inspiration behind France’s victory at the European Championships two years later.

Zidane’s first appearance for France 10 years ago promised great things for the future.

Then at Bordeaux, Zidane débuted for his country against the Czech Republic on August 17 1994 and, after coming on a substitute, scored both of France’s goals in a 2-2 draw.

His influence on the French team has grown with each year since then and his loss will be keenly felt by Les Bleus.

Arguably the greatest player of his generation, the three-time FIFA World Player of the Year has also earned admirers far and wide at club level.

Juventus were the keenest of Europe’s big guns to take a chance on the young Zidane when they signed him from Bordeaux in 1996.

Just five years after that, Real Madrid made him the most expensive player in football history when they splashed out £46.5m (€69.5m) to take him to Spain, where he still continues to enthral and amaze fans with his sublime skills.