Zinédine Zidane announced his retirement from international football yesterday after a 10-year spell with France.
"I've an important statement to make," said the 32-year-old France playmaker on his website. "My international career is over now. I called the coach yesterday to let him know I had made up my mind. I think it was the right time to say stop," he said.
The France coach, Raymond Domenech, confirmed the news as he unveiled his squad for next week's friendly against Bosnia-Herzegovina.
"Zidane will not play for France any more. I'm sorry about it. I would have liked him to carry on. He thought he had to leave the place to young players," said Domenech.
Zidane's career with France saw him win 92 caps, the 1998 World Cup, scoring twice in the final, and the 2000 European Championship.
News of his departure was greeted with gloom in France. In a front-page editorial asking him to stay, France's sports daily L'Equipe said that he would remain "inscribed" in the minds of the nation like no other player before him. "The idea of never seeing Zinédine Zidane play in blue again is unbearable. Once more, Mr Zidane, just once more," the paper pleaded, under a headline "Please, Zinédine".
The president of the French Football Federation, Claude Simonet, said he was sad to see Zidane go. "I'm sorry because he is an exceptional person, on the field and in life generally. But this is an individual choice, which we have to respect," he said.
