When compiling a list of legendary French sporting figures, places and events, it would be difficult not to include Zinedine Zidane and the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race in your top five.
A third of motorsport’s Triple Crown, along with the Monaco Grand Prix and the Indy 500, Le Mans returns for its 92nd edition this weekend, as hundreds of drivers and team members, as well as thousands of fans, prepare for a race like no other in the northwest of France.
And Zidane will also be there, with a very special role to play.
Although he played for his clubs on the southeast and southwest coasts of the country, in Cannes and Bordeaux respectively, Zidane’s performances in the blue shirt of the French national team make him one of the most recognized athletes in the world and a hero for everyone. France.
The 51-year-old former midfielder, who won the Champions League four times as a player and coach, all with Real Madrid, as well as the World Cup with France in 1998 and the European Championship two years later, is currently out of work. him having ended his second stage as coach at Los Blancos in 2021.
The Jugo Mobile explains why Zidane will fly the flag to start the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2024.
Why is Zinedine Zidane an honorary starter at the 24 Hours of Le Mans?
Sixty-two drivers will wait for Zidane to kick off this year’s race on Saturday, June 15, 2024. With three also registered on the reserve list and two other drivers per team waiting in the wings, the wave of the green flag from Zidane, a non-stop 24-hour race in which all bets are off.
The honorary starting spot is usually filled by a celebrity guest, and while Brad Pitt, Rafael Nadal and last year’s LeBron James all waved the flag, a French national icon like Zidane doing so is sure to garner local support.
None of Zidane’s 31 international goals for Les Bleus came in the city of Le Mans, but that won’t stop an expected crowd of more than 100,000 from giving him a hero’s welcome this weekend.
Speaking before the race, he said: “The 24 Hours of Le Mans is like no other. It’s an iconic race for anyone who loves motorsport, for people all over the world.”
“It is a source of immense pride for France. Being there will be a first for me and I feel very honored to take on the starting role.”