2001 Real Madrid Home – Zidane #5 Large

Season Overview

The 2001–02 campaign was Real Madrid’s centenary season, and it was full of drama under Vicente del Bosque. In La Liga, Los Blancos finished third with 66 points, behind champions Valencia and runners-up Deportivo La Coruña. They also lost the Copa del Rey final at their own Bernabéu, beaten 2–1 by Deportivo. They did win the Supercopa de España.

Europe saved the year. On 15 May 2002 at Hampden Park in Glasgow, Madrid beat Bayer Leverkusen 2–1 to win the Champions League, the club’s ninth European title, known as La Novena. It is one of the most celebrated nights in the club’s history, and this home shirt is from that season.

Player’s Impact – Zinedine Zidane

Zidane arrived from Juventus in the summer of 2001 for a then-world record fee of €77.5 million. He took the number 5 because club president Florentino Pérez wanted squad numbers kept low. The shirt had been left free by the retiring Manolo Sanchis. Zidane played 31 La Liga games that season and scored 7 goals.

His defining moment came in Glasgow. He scored a left-footed volley in the final and was named Man of the Match. The goal is still replayed as one of the great finishes in a European final. For collectors, a Zidane #5 home shirt marks his debut year at Madrid, and it is one of the most sought-after Real Madrid shirts of the 2000s.

Real Madrid Squad – 2001–02 Season

Manager: Vicente del Bosque

Goalkeepers: Iker Casillas, César Sánchez, Carlos Sánchez

Defenders: Míchel Salgado, Roberto Carlos, Fernando Hierro, Iván Helguera, Francisco Pavón, Aitor Karanka

Midfielders: Zinedine Zidane, Luís Figo, Claude Makélélé, Guti, Steve McManaman, Santiago Solari, Albert Celades, Flávio Conceição, Geremi

Forwards: Raúl, Fernando Morientes, Pedro Munitis