Zidane on French elections: I'm far away from the National Front's ideas

Posted Saturday, April 29, 2017 by Marca.com

Marine Le Pen's National Front party were criticised by Zinedine Zidane on Friday, with the Real Madrid coach revealing that he hopes they lose the second round of French elections on May 7.

This was not the first time he had hit out at the party, having similarly expressed concern about her father Jean-Marie Le Pen in 2002.

"My message is always going to be the same as it was in 2002," Zidane said during his press conference.

"I am very far away from the ideas of the National Front and I would like to avoid [a National Front election win]."

In 2002, the right-wing party similarly made it onto the second ballot for the presidential election and Zidane was very vocal at the time about the importance of voting.

"The only thing I'd say is that people must vote," he said 15 years ago.

"Above all, they must think of the consequences that could arise if they vote for a party which does not correspond to French values.

"I am French and my father is Algerian and I am proud of that.

"Nobody can be happy with what is happening in my country, never mind the personal impact it could have on me.

"[Electing Jean-Marie Le Pen] could have serious consequences for France.

"The issue of not voting is a serious one, when there are 30 percent of people abstaining."

In the end, Jacques Chirac defeated Jean-Marie Le Pen with 82 percent of that vote.