Zidane could retire after World Cup -- a year early

PARIS (Ticker) - Zinedine Zidane admits he may retire from football after the World Cup -- a year ahead of schedule.

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The France National Team playmaker, the inspiration behind the side that won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000, is under contract until 2007 at Real Madrid, but told Le Journal du Dimanche that he retire a year early.

"It's in my head," the 33-year-old midfielder told the newspaper. "It's not certain that I will carry on until 2007. I have another six months with Madrid, a World Cup and afterwards we will see."

Zidane, who finished second behind former tennis star Yannick Noah in the yearly vote for France's most popular public figure, believes Les Bleus could win the World Cup despite an unimpressive qualifying campaign.

"I would not have come back otherwise," said Zidane, who was lured out of international retirement during the World Cup qualifying campaign. "I did not only do it so we would qualify but because this team has the players who are capable of achieving something."

France have been drawn with Switzerland, South Korea and Togo in the group phase of the World Cup.

"I have no doubt -- our players play for some of the best clubs in Europe," Zidane said. I am convinced that our players are only just a little short of what is needed to carry us a long way. We have to do everything we can to achieve that because it will be the last chance for players like me."

That sucks. I'm a huge France fan, and I hope they win the World Cup. He was an excellent player and it will suck to see him go. He made the French midfield, and it will be hard for them to move the ball up the middle without him.

Well he retired with France, but stayed in Madrid, because he couldnt keep up. But now he came back playing for France, just because of the world cup. But as this article says, after the world cup is done, he would retire, perioud.

I know that he cannot carry on forever but he is one of the greatest players in the world and it is always sad when they retire as they never usally manage to do anything of note outside the world of football.
Just look at the state of Maradona now he is a fat junkie that can do nothing,exept make a fool of himself.

Its time for him to retire now I believe. He hasen't been looking his best recently and I believe that retiring on top of his game will be good for him.