Paul Lambert: ‘I met Zinedine Zidane in Madrid – we shook hands and had a good laugh about the time I kept him quiet in the 1997 Champions League Final’
Paul Lambert won the Champions League with Borussia Dortmund in 1997
Paul Lambert enjoyed an enviable playing career. The Glaswegian was not just wildly successful at Celtic - he also had a memorable year with Borussia Dortmund, winning the Champions League with the German club in 1997.
Though not mentioned among the great midfielders of his era, Lambert went toe to toe with Zinedine Zidane, then establishing himself as a superstar at Juventus. And the Scot came out on top, helping his side to a 3-1 win in Munich.
It was an unlikely Champions League success and one that defined Lambert’s career, as he recollects in the latest edition of FourFourTwo.
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Asked about facing the brilliant Zidane, Lambert says: "I knew I had to get close to him every time he had the ball – you had to be a millimetre away from him because he was just so good. He had the best feet of anyone I ever played against – left and right. He could sway either way, which made marking him more difficult.
“People underestimated his athleticism, too. I just had to stick as tight as I could. It wasn’t about leaving a mark physically; it was about being incredibly disciplined and not going to ground. I met him later when I went to see Real Madrid train. We shook hands and had a laugh about it.”
Reflecting on the match and Lars Ricken’s goal to secure the victory, Lambert adds: "I’ll tell you what I do remember: the looks on their faces when Juventus went to kick off after it. They were gone. At 2-1, they were still in it; their tails were up and the Juventus fans were bouncing. That was Lars’ first touch of the ball. What a finish. Incredible.
"You think about coming from a small area of Glasgow and suddenly being elevated to the same pedestal as some of the best players who’ve ever kicked a ball. That’s what the Champions League does for you."
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