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One of the best players of the past decade in the world, Frenchman Zinedine Zidane, announced on Tuesday that he will end his professional career this summer, after the World Cup in Germany.
"This is my decision, and it is final," said the Madrid coach to the French television channel "Canal+".
The 33-year-old Frenchman was the leader of the French national team, which won the World Cup in 1998 and became European champions in 2000.
In 2001, Zidane became the most expensive player of that time when "Real" paid 66 million dollars to Turin's club "Juventus" for him. The Frenchman helped "Real" win the UEFA Champions League in 2002 with a fantastic goal against Bayer Leverkusen the following year.
However, injuries that plagued him over the past two years forced Zidane to decide to end his career, even though his contract with "Real" is still valid for another year.
"I have to listen to my body, I can't play for another year," said the Frenchman, adding that the poor results of "Real" also influenced his decision.
