Zinedine Zidane and Steven Gerrard are two of the greatest midfielders to have ever played the sport. With that said, football fans will be fascinated to learn that the Real Madrid icon was desperate to play with the Liverpool star.
Sadly, however, sometimes dreams simply remain dreams, failing to solidify in reality. In the summer of 2004, the French football icon pressed Los Blancos president Florentino Perez to sign Gerrard, but it never came to pass.
This is the story of what went down, and why no deal could be finalised.
Zidane was a huge fan of Gerrard
“I wanted him to partner me in midfield”
As quoted in the Daily Mail, Zidane had nothing but praise for the Englishman. He began: “I have said in the past that at his peak he was the best in the world.”
Such was his admiration for Gerrard in fact, the Frenchman explained how he spoke to Perez personally about bringing him in as a midfield partner at Madrid. He later explained why a deal was not possible, though, saying:
“I think it was the summer of 2004 I was having a conversation with Florentino (Perez) and I told him I wanted him to partner me in midfield for Madrid.
“I know the club tried twice but he wouldn’t leave Liverpool. Not many players turn down Real Madrid but I think that tells you a lot about the loyalty of the man.”
Gerrard’s loyalty was simply too much to overcome. The Englishman had been in the Liverpool academy since 1989, aged just nine. He broke into the senior team nine years later and by 2003 he’d become club captain. By 2004, when Zidane enquired about the midfielder, he’d already won numerous honours with the Reds, including the FA Cup once, the League Cup twice, and the Uefa Cup.
But the best of Gerrard’s career was yet to come. Indeed, his crowning achievement was in 2005 when he played a key role in the unforgettable Champions League comeback in Istanbul. Trailing 3-0 to AC Milan, the midfielder put in a Man of the Match display as he pulled the first goal back for the Reds with a fine header, he then won the penalty for the equaliser as Liverpool went on to lift the trophy.
Gerrard on Turning Down Real Madrid
“I resisted temptation”
Had Real Madrid convinced the former LA Galaxy man to leave in 2004, he would have never achieved this iconic Champions League moment. That said, he did fail to win the Premier League. In La Liga, he perhaps could have helped Zidane win more than just the one league title.
The Frenchman reflected on this painful fact for Gerrard, saying: ‘It is incredible he has never won a league title.” He did add, however: “But he has had success with Liverpool.”
The Liverpool legend himself also has spoken about what could have been if he’d joined Real Madrid. As quoted in in 2014 by the Independent, he talked about the “flattering” links but explained how loyalty meant he turned down any offers, saying:
“I think it is very flattering to be linked to a huge club like Real Madrid. I think I had a couple of options throughout my career to go to Real Madrid but I resisted temptation because of the big connection I had to my hometown club.
“It may be something I regret further down the line by not challenging myself and having a change of scenery in a different country but I would have had a bigger regret leaving the club I love.
“I am a big fan of Madrid, they are a special club, but for me Liverpool are my number one club.”
Zidane got to play with plenty of Galacticos over the course of his career, including one of England’s other iconic midfielders David Beckham, but this particular partnership with Gerrard never came to pass. The world of transfers is a place of sliding door moments in football, and who knows how different things could have been if a deal was completed. Zidane himself could have had a wildly different career if he’d ended up at Newcastle when still at Bordeaux but the Magpies turned down the offer.
One can only imagine how good the pair could have been lining up in the same XI. Gerrard did actually come up against the Real Madrid ace in a pre-season match in 2002. Danny Murphy spoke about how he and Gerrard wanted to “smash” Zidane but a clever spin meant he left the two Liverpool men on the floor, stunned by the skill of the Frenchman.