The phrase still resonates in the mind of Jerome Rothen. Sixteen years later. Like an unexpected explosion. “Get up, son of a bitch.” Crude words spoken by Zinedine Zidane on April 6, 2004, in the middle of a jubilant Louis II stadium. In the extra time of a quarter-final return of the Champions League between Monaco and Real Madrid, engraved in the legend (3-1). While Rothen recovers the leather in the heart of the field, he is sharply tackled by the Ballon d’Or 1998. Before receiving this insult, which deeply marked him, as he confided in “The souvenir box” on Monday on RMC.
“It’s a black spot for me in my career, explained our consultant. And in the relationship that I could have with Zizou. We knew each other from the France team. At that time, I don’t understand because I had a good relationship with him, even if he’s not someone who talks a lot. On this action, there is a fault on me. I add more, but we are at the end of the game. We are leading 3-1, we are qualified and the goal is for the clock to run quickly. I save time. Zizou loses the ball and there is frustration on his part because there, they take a slap . It is Real Madrid, the Galacticos, which are eliminated by the small Monaco, after having won 4-2 in the first leg. They did not expect this crazy match “.
“These words, I don’t understand them”
If Rothen perfectly understands the annoyance of the Real playmaker, he cannot explain the violence of his words: “I can understand the frustration and the nervousness. But these words, I do not understand them compared to to someone you know, with whom you trained and with whom you played in the national team. I’m not telling you that we are the best friends in the world, but still. Insults, on the pitch, It can happen. And it happened to me too. But towards someone you shared the same shirt with, who you sat next to in the locker room, I think there are limits. “
