The winner of the World Cup with France and three UEFA Champion League titles as manager of Real Madrid, has been named official starter for the event by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, organizers of the race.
This means it will kick off the 62-car French enduro at 4pm on June 15.
Zidane, 51, said: “The 24 Hours of Le Mans is like no other: it is an iconic race for anyone who loves motorsport, for people all over the world and a source of immense pride for France.”
“My head is full of images of the race, of the legendary drivers, of the incredible stories, even if they are images taken from television or cinema scenes!”
“Actually being there will be a first for me, and needless to say, I am extremely honored to take on the role of starter.”
ACO president Pierre Fillon said Le Mans could not have hoped for a “more prestigious starter” for the 92nd edition of the event.
“Le Mans is a world-renowned event which, throughout its history, has welcomed some great names from different horizons,” he said.
“Zinedine Zidane is an icon, a sportsman whose talent has inspired generations of fans.”
Zidane follows NBA basketball legend LeBron James in taking on the role of honorary starter at Le Mans.
Previous big names in the world of sport to have held the position include 14-time French Open tennis champion Rafael Nadal in 2018, the year Spaniard Fernando Alonso made his Le Mans debut, and three-time Olympic skiing gold medalist Jean-Claude Killy in 2010.
One of Zidane’s teammates on the French national football team that won the 1998 World Cup on home soil participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
This is goalkeeper Fabien Barthez, who participated in the French classic three times between 2014 and 2017.
The first time he raced with a Ferrari 458 GT2 Italia managed by the Auto Sport Promotion team and then he took part in the race twice in ’16 and ’17, aboard an LMP2 Ligier-Nissan JSP2 managed by Barthez-Panis Competition.
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