Again, Zidane was forced to adapt At the same time, Juventus sought out Zidane, and after his four crucial seasons with Bordeaux, he moved to Torino. Not only did Bordeaux qualify every year that Zidane played with the team, but Bordeaux also qualified for the UEFA Cup through Intertoto and went to the final in 95-96, Zidane's last year with the team. His beginning with Bordeaux was hard on 24-year-old Zidane, as it forced him to adapt, but once he did, he did so with flying colours.
Marseille also wanted Zidane, but Bordeaux proved to want him more. After a lukewarm 91-92 season, Zidane felt it was time for a change and switched to Bordeaux after he was asked to sign a four-year contract. Zidane's second season with Cannes wasn't as promising, but on the non-professional front he met his future wife Veronique, a Spanish dancer. The Cannes midfielder scored his first goal on February 8th, 1991 (he received a Clio as a promise from the Cannes President, who promised him a car when he scored his first goal as a professional), and his first season with the club was marked by a qualification for the UEFA Cup. Showing the determination of an athlete who wants to exceed expectations, Zidane had played his first game in First Division at the age of 17, and it was from then that football went from an ambition to a passion.
Playing with professionals at the age of 16, it would only be a matter of time when he too would turn pro, and he knew he was on his way to realizing his dreams. He ventured off to Cannes for what was intended to be a six-week stay, but remained even longer. He was called in for 3 days at the sport regional centre in Aix-en-Provence, where Jean Varraud, Cannes' recruiter, noticed the French/Algerian player. After leaving Septemes at the age of 14, Zidane participated in the first year junior selection for the league championship, the same year he was discovered. He moved on to Septemes Sports Olympiques after the coach convinced the director of the club to sign him.
Zidane got his start in football (known as soccer in North America) at an early age, when he joined the US Saint-Henri club. Zinedine Zidane was born June 23, 1972, in Marseille, France.