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Agent reveals that Newcastle rejected Zinedine Zidane
Football agent Barry Silkman has revealed in an exclusive interview with sport.co.uk that Newcastle United could have signed former World Player of the Year Zinedine Zidane when he was looking to leave Ligue 1 side Bordeaux in 1996...but rejected the opportunity.
The legendary French midfielder instead secured a move to Serie A giants Juventus for a fee believed to be £3.2 million; a move that secured his reputation as one of Europe’s greats and led to him making a record-breaking €75 million transfer to Real Madrid in 2001. The news of Zidane’s rejection by Newcastle United adds to the growing list of clubs that turned down the player with former Blackburn Rovers owner Jack Walker supposedly remarking in 1995, "Why do you want to sign Zidane when we have Tim Sherwood?"
Newcastle United under Kevin Keegan’s stewardship in the mid nineties saw the club promoted from the old second division to the Premier League and become serious title challengers to Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United. Geordies will no doubt be asking themselves what could have been had the Magpies secured Zidane’s signature in 1996 and had him play alongside the likes of David Ginola, Alan Shearer, Les Ferdinand and Philippe Albert.
Speaking to sport.co.uk, agent Silkman reminisced on the deal that never was:
“I have missed out on players. I suppose the biggest player I missed out on was Zinedine Zidane.
“I offered him to Newcastle at the beginning of the 1996 season for £1.2million. And they watched him and said that he wasn’t good enough to play in the First Division which is the Championship now.
“Three months later he went to Juventus for £1.2million and two years later he went for £48million. So I think the people at Newcastle got it slightly wrong.”
By the end of his first season with Juventus, Zidane had led the team to victory in the UEFA Cup, the European Super Cup and the Intercontinental Cup. He went on to win two consecutive Serie A titles before leading France to World Cup glory on home turf in 1998. Following his move to Real Madrid the talismanic all-rounder added the Primera Division medal to his collection before scoring that volley in the 2002 Champions League final (see picture above) before helping the Bernabeu outfit to World Club Cup glory.
Newcastle United have not won major silverware since their 1955 FA Cup win. They currently top the Championship.
http://www.sport.co.uk/news/Football/35533/Agent_reveals_that_Newcastle_rejected_Zinedine_Zidane.aspx
Football agent Barry Silkman has revealed in an exclusive interview with sport.co.uk that Newcastle United could have signed former World Player of the Year Zinedine Zidane when he was looking to leave Ligue 1 side Bordeaux in 1996...but rejected the opportunity.
The legendary French midfielder instead secured a move to Serie A giants Juventus for a fee believed to be £3.2 million; a move that secured his reputation as one of Europe’s greats and led to him making a record-breaking €75 million transfer to Real Madrid in 2001. The news of Zidane’s rejection by Newcastle United adds to the growing list of clubs that turned down the player with former Blackburn Rovers owner Jack Walker supposedly remarking in 1995, "Why do you want to sign Zidane when we have Tim Sherwood?"
Newcastle United under Kevin Keegan’s stewardship in the mid nineties saw the club promoted from the old second division to the Premier League and become serious title challengers to Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United. Geordies will no doubt be asking themselves what could have been had the Magpies secured Zidane’s signature in 1996 and had him play alongside the likes of David Ginola, Alan Shearer, Les Ferdinand and Philippe Albert.
Speaking to sport.co.uk, agent Silkman reminisced on the deal that never was:
“I have missed out on players. I suppose the biggest player I missed out on was Zinedine Zidane.
“I offered him to Newcastle at the beginning of the 1996 season for £1.2million. And they watched him and said that he wasn’t good enough to play in the First Division which is the Championship now.
“Three months later he went to Juventus for £1.2million and two years later he went for £48million. So I think the people at Newcastle got it slightly wrong.”
By the end of his first season with Juventus, Zidane had led the team to victory in the UEFA Cup, the European Super Cup and the Intercontinental Cup. He went on to win two consecutive Serie A titles before leading France to World Cup glory on home turf in 1998. Following his move to Real Madrid the talismanic all-rounder added the Primera Division medal to his collection before scoring that volley in the 2002 Champions League final (see picture above) before helping the Bernabeu outfit to World Club Cup glory.
Newcastle United have not won major silverware since their 1955 FA Cup win. They currently top the Championship.
http://www.sport.co.uk/news/Football/35533/Agent_reveals_that_Newcastle_rejected_Zinedine_Zidane.aspx
