Transfer of the Century: Zidane s move from Juventus to Real Madrid still defines football s greatest night

Tonight, Real Madrid and Juventus will meet again in the Champions League. On the eve of this focus show, it is hard not to drift back to the summer of 2001 - the summer when Zidane completed a transfer that changed football forever.

What started as a romance on a napkin quickly turned into one of the most dramatic transfers in football history. At a UEFA dinner in Monaco, Real Madrid president Florentino quietly handed Zidane a fateful question with a note written in French:

"Are you willing to come and play for Real Madrid?"

Zidane's response was equally simple and clear: "Yes."

However, the reality behind the fairy tale is far from simple.

At that time, Zidane had just renewed his contract with Juventus until 2005 and publicly stated that he was very happy in Turin. He is already a World Cup and European Cup winner and is considered one of the most complete players on the planet. However, his final season in Italy was troubled - an early exit from the cup, a poor performance in the Champions League, and even two red cards in the group stage.

Despite this, no one inside Juventus believes that he will really leave. Boss Agnelli and director Moggi refuted all rumors. But Zidane's agent Alan Migliasio quickly confirmed the fact that Spain had already guessed:

"Zidane has decided to play in Spain. You can't force a person to go against his will."

Negotiations were intense. In early July 2001, Florentino and Valdano met with Juventus' top executives - Agnelli, Moggi and Bettega - in the mountains of Turin. After hours of haggling, the deal was finally settled: Zidane will join Real Madrid for a world-record transfer fee of 77 million euros.

When Zidane arrived in Madrid, the entire transfer turned into a grand celebration. His appearance was broadcast live during prime time, and Canal Plus reportedly paid 250 million pesetas for the rights to broadcast it. "I've been waiting for this transfer," Zidane said in French. "The timing is right. I'm happy to sign for the best club in the world."

Juventus, meanwhile, used the record money to sign Buffon, Thuram and Nedved - a rebuild that kept them competitive. Agnelli later half-jokingly admitted:

"For us, Zidane is more of a spectacle than a practical one."

But Zidane soon proved him wrong. Less than a year later, he scored an unforgettable volley in the 2002 Champions League final - a goal that became emblematic of Real Madrid's Galacticos era.

Now, as Real Madrid and Juventus face off again, it's hard not to think back to that fateful transfer - one that shaped the trajectory of both clubs for decades to come and redefined the meaning of "market value" in the football world. In that conference room in the mountains of Turin, a new era of football quietly began, and its echoes are still clearly discernible in the hustle and bustle of Champions League nights. Every time Real Madrid and Juventus meet, it seems to remind us: history is repeating itself before our eyes.