Zidane will skipper France

Published : Apr 19, 2003 00:00 IST

Zinedine Zidane-Pic. AFP
Zinedine Zidane-Pic. AFP
lightbox-info

Zinedine Zidane-Pic. AFP

Real Madrid midfielder Zinedine Zidane will skipper France in the Euro 2004 qualifiers against Malta and Israel. National coach Jacques Santini announced that Zidane would replace Chelsea's Marcel Desailly who is injured. "I am confident he will be able to meet his responsibilities both on and off the field," Santini said of Zidane.

Zidane, the most expensive footballer in the world, was chosen ahead of Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira. It is not clear whether Zidane's appointment is a permanent one, with Santini keen to bring the former skipper back into the squad. "Desailly will come back when fit. He remains a pillar of the French team," Santini said.

More stories from this issue

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment