Soundoff: Remaking Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait.

By: chris | February 3rd, 2010

Halfway between a sports documentary and an conceptual art installation, “Zidane” consists in a full-length soccer game (Real Madrid vs. Villareal, April 23, 2005) entirely filmed from the perspective of soccer superstar Zinedine Zidane.

A film crew, stationed throughout the Santiago Bernabeu, watched Zidane and Zidane alone for 90 minutes…well, an hour or so until he was sent off. From it was born the movie Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait. It’s a wonderful film tracking the ghost of a man who is a genius both on and off the ball, a supreme rarity in football in any era.

But now that’s Zidane’s gone, who could take his place?

No, not “who is the next Zidane?” – there are enough of those popping up daily on French primary school playgrounds…or so the media would tell you – but who could a film crew follow for 90 minutes of subtle, swooping, darting football with and without that little sphere they’re always on about?

It’s a bit harder than you think, notably because footballing intelligence is a far rarer commodity than simply picking up a gift basket upon signing a professional contract.

If we wanted to go off script, and maybe a bit off our rockers, Jens Lehmann would have to be a wonderful choice. And perhaps rated NC-17.

If looking for the footballing equivalent of a non-stop, all-action Hollywood blockbuster, maybe Dirk Kuyt or Simone Perrotta would do.

But for the legitimate subtle yet apparent genius, the choices get few and far between. There is no new Zidane – not yet. The Barcelona attack – any of them – are all quite worthy choices, and it’d probably heighten the experience watching each being fed such exquisite balls time after time after time, but that’s almost too easy. Perhaps Cesc…though if we just wait til the summer, we can lump him in with the Barcelona crew.

I think, for now, I would have to nominate Luka Modric. He is, and has been for some time, one of the most intelligent players in the game, and is equally good threading the ball as he is finding the space to relieve a teammate. The Cruijff comparisons are a bit far-fetched, but his footballing brain is top-notch.