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Holder of a Master’s degree in international law, I realized at the end of my university career that it was important to evolve in a field that you appreciate. Overnight, I decided to put an end to my parents’ dream, who saw in me a future lawyer, to make a living from my passion: sport. Since then, I have covered transfer windows and sports news, trying to keep readers informed as best as possible.
Former AS Monaco player, Patrice Evra recently returned to one of Zinédine Zidane’s great breakdowns. The events took place in 2004, during a Champions League quarter-final between the Monegasque team and Real Madrid. The 1998 world champion attacked Jérôme Rothen on the field.
The epic ofAS Monaco in Champions League during the 2003/2004 season will remain as one of the defining moments of French football. Built then not Didier Deschampsthe training had achieved numerous exploits during this edition, in particular by overcoming the Real Madrid galactic version. The team of Ludovic Giuly, Fernando Morientes or even Patrice Evra had left no chance to that of Zinédine Zidane who, something rare, had even lost his nerve. Present on the ground, Jerome Rothen revealed this anecdote, two years before his famous headbutt.
Zidane broke down in the middle of the match
« En 2004, we eliminated Real Madrid with AS Monaco in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. There is one stain on this success: the insults of Zinédine Zidane. This is the black point of my career. I understand his frustration when you play at Real and lose to little Monaco. But these words (son of a bitch), coming from the mouth of someone you know, I don’t understand them » confided Rothen in 2020.
Rothen was ignored
Exactly, Evra took advantage of the presence of Rothen on the antenna of RMC to return to this quarrel with Zidane.« During Monaco-Real Madrid, Rothen fouls Zizou. Jérôme holds out his hand to him, Zidane tells him “release your hand”. And at the Blues rally, Rothen was a ghost for Zidane. Zidane’s reaction can be understood given the tension “, he explained. This clash had greatly displeased Didier Deschamps. « He told us are you crazy? Where do you think you are? This is the first time you are competing in this competition.” he admitted Evra.
