Zidane quits international football

France coach Raymond Domenech today confirmed Zinedine Zidane has retired from international football.

The 32-year-old Real Madrid playmaker follows in the footsteps of former captain Marcel Desailly, and defenders Lilian Thuram and Bixente Lizarazu, who 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.

Domenech said: “Zidane stops his international career here. I regret it very much because I would have liked him to continue but he had already decided about it.

“He thought about it but now I need to deal with that and would like him to help the young players.”

Ireland play France in a World Cup qualifier in Paris in October.