Zidane praises Real's quartet: "They were exceptional"

In an interview with L’Équipe to mark his 80th birthday, former French international Zinédine Zidane (53) reflected on his memories at Real Madrid and discussed several top stars who have played a huge role in the club’s recent successes.

Zidane pays tribute to Modrić, Kroos, Ronaldo and Benzema

The French legend spoke in particular about the period when he was in charge of the Madrid side as head coach. He admitted that he immensely enjoyed watching certain players capable of making the difference on the pitch.

Zidane said: "As Real Madrid manager, I took a lot of pleasure in watching players like Luka Modrić, Toni Kroos, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema."

According to him, this quartet possessed exceptional technical quality and great football intelligence—attributes that were key to the club’s many titles, especially the three consecutive Champions League triumphs.

Zidane: "I was lucky to play with Ronaldo"

Switching gears, Zidane also looked back on his former Real Madrid teammate, the Brazilian superstar Ronaldo Nazário, nicknamed "The Phenomenon," praising his unique talent and the impact he made both on and off the pitch.

Zidane said: "Ronaldo Nazário... The Phenomenon! He is a unique player. I was lucky to play with him at Real Madrid."

The former French star also revealed that what Ronaldo did in training was simply astonishing, to the point where some teammates would stop playing just to watch him.

He added: "In training, he was incredible. Sometimes, some players would just stop to watch him."

Kylian Mbappé injury: A decision is taking shape at Real Madrid

Mohamed Rek |

Editorfr, ar, en

Mohamed Rek- sports content writer with over 10 years of experience creating football content in Arabic and French for platforms such as Foot Africa and Starafrica, combining accuracy, creativity, and audience engagement.

Related teams and leagues

Real Madrid