Zidane’s son wants to write his own story in football

Zidane’s son wants to make his way in football without being defined by his father’s career. Elias has said he prefers to have his first name on his shirt. “At Real Betis, the name ‘Elias’ was printed on my shirt. I wanted to keep that tradition, with no intention of hiding behind my real name,” he said in an interview with Le Parisien.

He does not deny the influence of his family environment on his career choice. “Football has always been an integral part of our family and, as I grew up in that world from a very young age, it was natural that I would want to follow in my father’s footsteps, but I want to write my own story,” he added.

Zidane’s son also spoke about the difficulty of growing up under scrutiny of the performances of a player linked to a legend. “When you are young, the most important thing is to be able to improve without being constantly watched, and that was a little difficult,” he said. His wish to wear his first name on his shirt reflects a desire to build his own career while facing the weight of comparisons.