It is never easy trying to follow in the footsteps of a family member who has already excelled in the line of work that you want pursue. Many footballers have been faced with this very issue, and while some, like Erling Haaland, have been able to surpass what their fathers managed to achieve on the pitch, others haven’t even come close.
Earlier this year, David Beckham’s son Romeo left Premier League outfit Brentford and retired from the sport aged just 22 in order to pursue a career in fashion. The son of the former Galactico failed to live up to the lofty standards his dad once set. Now, another Los Blancos legend has their child call it quits before turning 30, as Enzo Zidane, son of Zinedine, has revealed why he has decided to hang up his boots.
Enzo Zidane Retires Due to ‘Bordeom’
According to a report from AS (via Daily Mail), it is believed that Zidane has chosen to say goodbye to the beautiful game ‘due to boredom’, having grown tired and thus losing his passion for the sport. The 29-year-old has had what many would describe as a journeyman career, having played for teams in Spain, Switzerland, France and Portugal, but has been without a club since 2023.
It is stated that the former midfielder has become tired of waiting to join a new club and now wants to focus his attention on other areas of his life. He is married to Karen Goncalves and the pair have three daughters together, who it is believed he will now dedicate most of his time to. It is also claimed that Zidane has investments in other avenues that he will also have more time to tend to as he walks away from the sport his father once dominated.
Zidane on Carrying on His Father’s Legacy
The 29-year-old previously explained the burden he was forced to carry
While it is easy to suggest that being the son of one of the most famous faces to ever step foot onto a pitch would give someone a massive advantage in finding their early path, the burden that then comes with this is capable of crushing those who are not prepared to carry it. That is exactly the case for Zidane, who was actually played under his mother’s maiden name, Fernandez, in the early part of his career.
Speaking to Marca in 2018 about the weight of being compared to his legendary father, the former Alaves man explained that he tried to remove himself from the comparisons despite the fact they were never going to change. As per the Daily Mail, Zidane junior stated:
“I’ve had it since I was little, and it’s always going to be that way. It’s not going to change, but I try to remove myself from it and focus on being the best possible Enzo. People compare you, criticise you, want more from you, and say you are there because you are somebody’s son.
“Others will be criticised for other things, but I try not to think about it. The most important thing is that my family are proud of me. I just think about growing up as Enzo and nothing else. I was 22 years old (at Madrid); after going through the academy and learning from the first team, my goal was to try other things and grow as a footballer.
“Madrid are the best team in the world and it is very difficult to find a space there, but the life of a player is like that. I wanted to leave to experience good moments elsewhere and have the same dream.”
The Frenchman scored on his Real Madrid debut
Zidane began his career at Real Madrid’s youth academy, rising to play for their reserve team, Real Madrid Castilla alongside the likes of Achraf Hakimi and Martin Odegaard. He was handed his senior debut by his father in 2016 in a Copa del Rey match, scoring in his only appearance for the first team which featured current Manchester United man Casemiro, as well as other familiar Madrid names.
He would move to Alaves in 2017, which was later followed by short stints at Lausanne-Sport, Lausanne-Sport and Desportivo Aves. He was last seen playing for CF Fuenlabrada in 2023.
Enzo Zidane’s Career Statistics | |
|---|---|
Stats | Figure |
Games | 203 |
Goals | 13 |
Assists | 24 |
Clubs | 9 |
Honours | 0 |
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt – accurate as of 27/09/2024