Zinedine Zidane’s return to the land of his ancestors: politics, diplomacy or something else?

Zinedine Zidane’s ‘official’ visit to Algeria, which took place between 11 and 16 December 2006, was important not only because ‘the prodigal son’ visited the land of his ancestors as a world champion but also because the trip was important in terms of Franco-Algerian foreign relations and diplomacy. The return to Algeria of this extraordinary son of Algerian immigrants, much popularized by the media, created an enormous popular following and enthusiasm that improved Franco-Algerian foreign relations considerably. The visibility and impact of Zinane’s trip to Algeria was compared to Jacques Chirac’s official visit to the country, which took place between 2 and 4 March 2003. Chirac’s visit was historic: the French president and his Algerian counterpart signed a treaty that buttressed political and economic cooperation between the two countries. It also strengthened Franco-Algerian cultural and scientific exchanges.1