Zidane to defend the Algerian colors versus his former French teammates

The football star and former French squad captain Zineddine Zidane is due to arrive today to Algiers coming from Marseille, southern France, on a private jet, Echourok has learnt.

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• The former Real Madrid playmaker will be accompanied by his friends, relatives and parents who are used to pay visits to Algeria.
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• Zineddine Zidane will be received at the airport’s VIP lounge to avoid contact with the journalists who were not allowed to approach him.
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• According to the schedule elaborated by the organizers, Zidane will join his teammates from the glorious squad that won the World Cup trophy in 1998, at “Sofitel” hotel to have dinner before moving to the Olympic stadium’s dome to take part to a gala match versus former Algerian footballers.
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• Zidane is not ruling out the possibility to extend his stay in Algeria after receiving a formal invitation from the Algerian football federation to attend the friendly match between the Algeria squad versus the Serbian side slated for next Wednesday.
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• Zidane is set to pay a surprise visit to the Algerian players during their training session today at the 5 July Olympic stadium, it said.
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• For his part, the World Cup winners’ spokesperson Benaim has indicated that the debate over the party in charge of picking up the players who will face the world champions has been settled “ As we are concerned, we believe that the association of the former players is the one and only legitimate side to play against us during this tournament and we have agreed upon everything with Ali Fergani to make of this event a total success”, he said.
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• It should be noted that a conflict broke out between the association led by Nacer Bouiche and that chaired by Ali Fergani over which team will play the first match versus Zine eddine Zidane’s team.
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• The football legend is set to play the first half with the French team and the second half with the Algerian footballers. That would be the first time ever that Zidane wears the Algerian jersey.