1998 Ballon d'Or winner Zinedine Zidane made headlines again after taking part in an interview with Italian media outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport during the Festival dello Sport di Trento. There, the legendary former French footballer expressed his admiration for Barcelona's young talent, Lamine Yamal. “He's a player who excites me,” the former Real Madrid manager confessed, making it clear that the Spanish prodigy has managed to capture his attention.

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Zidane elaborated on his analysis, highlighting the Blaugrana player's technical quality and confidence: “Regardless of the position, a player who excites me when he touches the ball is Lamine Yamal. Against Inter, last year in the Champions League, at San Siro, he did it all by himself. Then I think of Vitinha or Joao Neves. They never lose the ball,” said the Frenchman, who is currently waiting for an opportunity with the French national team after the World Cup.

Zidane looks to the past and the future of football

During the conversation, Zizou also evoked his admiration for an icon of the past: “If I had to think of “the best player, it would be Ronaldo.” with Brazil. What he did on the pitch was incredible. He'd say, 'I'm going to nutmeg you,' and he did." Zidane also revealed how he signed for Real Madrid while still playing for Juventus. “We were in Monaco for a gala, I had dinner with Florentino Perez. He gave me a note asking if I wanted to go to Madrid. I'd been at Juve for five years and was 30, so I said to myself: 'I do it now or never.' It's not true that at first Figo didn't pass me the ball," he recounted humorously. The Frenchman also explained why he decided to retire at 34: "I didn't like traveling or hotels anymore. You stayed in hotels even when playing at home. I stopped playing just for that reason. “I could have played for a couple or three more years, but always being in concentration was very hard for me.” Finally, Zidane showed a certain nostalgia for the football of yesterday: “I miss something, yes. I'm a fan, when I watch games I want to see attacking play,Someone who dribbles,who makes 40-meter passes. There are good games from time to time, but I miss some things. Is the number 10 disappearing? Today we need someone who receives the ball between the lines. Nobody receives it through the center anymore, and that's strange."