Zinedine Zidane Didn't Hesitate When Naming the Best British Stadium he Played at

 Zinedine Zidane once picked out three of his favourite stadiums to play at during his time as a player. And the France icon included two British grounds in his selection.

Unquestionably one of the greatest players of all time, 'Zizou' played over 600 club games, along with an additional 108 for his country. The attacking-midfield maestro enjoyed incredible success during his 17 years as a player, lifting multiple league titles, Champions Leagues, as well as the Euros and World Cup.

Playing in so many high-stakes games in European and Continental football allowed Zidane to experience some of the best football amphitheaters on offer. But when asked to pick the best of the best, one immediately sprang to mind.

Zidane's Favourite Stadium

He gave two other honorable mentions

Speaking to Real Madrid's YouTube channel in September 2024, there was no hesitation when Zidane was asked to pick the greatest stadium he played in. Almost immediately, he picked Liverpool's Anfield.

“Liverpool.”

There were, however, a few honorable mentions too. Zidane added that he enjoyed playing games at Old Trafford against Manchester United, also naming Marseille's arena as one of his favourites. A self-professed fan of Les Phoceens, he became familiar with the ground during his years playing against them in Ligue 1, with the Stade Velodrome possessing one of the best atmospheres in European football.

"I also remember Manchester United. We played some impressive matches against them [at Old Trafford].

"Another ground where I liked to play was the Olympique de Marseille stadium."

Of course, Zidane couldn't help but also give the Santiago Bernabeu credit. While the three aforementioned grounds are all brilliant in their own right, the former Madridista believes that Los Blancos' home ground is head and shoulders above the rest.

"The [Santiago] Bernabeu is top, top, top," he said. "For me, the Bernabeu is number one. The people, stadium, everything, the history that the club has, the best.”

Zidane's Record at his Three Favourite Stadiums

Only played at Anfield once

While Zidane might have named Anfield his favourite ground, he never actually played a match against Liverpool there. His sole game at their stadium came during France's quarter-final at Euro '96.

Les Bleus faced the Netherlands, with the tie finishing 0-0 and going to penalties. Zidane converted during the shoot-out, which ultimately finished 5-4 in favour of the French.

He did, however, manage Real Madrid during a Champions League match against Liverpool in 2021. But he never got to experience the Anfield atmosphere which the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson have raved about, as COVID ensured that the game was played in front of an empty stadium.

'Zizou' played more frequently at his two other favourite stadiums though. He was involved in games at Old Trafford four times for his clubs, winning and drawing once while at Juventus and losing one game apiece against United while playing for the Bianconeri and Real Madrid. He also played there during France's Euro '96 semi-final loss against the Czech Republic.

He had better fortunes during his trips to Marseille. He won there on five occasions: twice at club level for Cannes and then Real Madrid, and then on three occasions while playing for the national team, including their opening match of the 1998 World Cup against South Africa. He never won a match there while at Bordeaux, losing and drawing both games.