Zidane and Belgian link Defour, training in Bruges and son at Standard
In the locker room of the Jan Breydel stadium, the Defour Golden Shoe trophy sits next to a photo of Zinedine Zidane, recalling his training stint in Bruges and his son's transfer to Standard, where he replaced Witsel.
The Red Devils remember Euro 2000, considered by many as the magnum opus of the French national team. Louis Janssen Zidane, Hazard's idol, enjoyed bright days at Sclessin and at Jan Breydel, where he left a mark on Belgian football.
Across the 120 European matches played by Zidane, no Belgian club was faced. The draw, a back injury that deprived him of two Champions League duels against Genk in 2002, and a headbutt contributed to this surprising statistic.
The same headbutt, committed with Juventus against Hamburg on Jochen Kientz, is said to have cost Zidane the Ballon d’Or in 2000. The resulting suspension made him miss two matches against Anderlecht.
Champions League encounter 2019
As a coach, Zidane clashed with Club Brugge during the group stage of the Champions League in 2019. At Jan Breydel, the Blues secured an easy 1-3 win thanks to Vinicius, Rodrygo, Modric and Vanaken, before drawing 2-2 against Clement's troops, led into halftime by Dennis's brace.
Michael Olise boosts the Blues, hands a defeat to the Red Devils
Belgian influence in the successes
A video message from Zidane, shown by Preud’homme before kickoff, is said to have inspired the Bruges fans in the Cup final in March 2015. That same year, Refaelov scored a winning volley against Anderlecht during stoppage time.
Internships and training abroad
Zidane completed an internship in North Venice, attended a training session led by MPH and conducted a youth session as part of a coaching course offered by UEFA. Three days later, he arrived in Bruges with Sagnol and Makélélé, praising the “blauw en zwart” formation by stating: “An example for many clubs.”
Coach of Castilla after serving as Ancelotti's assistant, he did not rule out taking the reins at FCB. “Between playing and coaching, there is a world of difference,” he asserted, adding that he does not envision himself further, not even at Standard.
Zidane redefines the Blues from the first gathering
His relationship with super‑agent Luciano D’Onofrio, who facilitated his transfer to Juventus, sparked a rumor in 2008 naming him as the top candidate to succeed Preud’homme. Papin could have been the assistant, but ultimately Bölöni signed at Sclessin. During a press conference in Vienna, he said he does not want to coach for the moment, not even at Standard, noting that he took more than a year off, preferring to devote himself to his family after seventeen years of a career where he achieved everything.