Juve chief states Zidane not on market

Juventus are not ready to sell star French playmaker Zinedane Zidane, club chief executive Antonio Giraudo saidtoday.

Juventus are not ready to sell star French playmaker Zinedane Zidane, club chief executive Antonio Giraudo saidtoday.

In an interview with Italian daily Gazetta dello Sport, Giraudo denied the club had been contacted by Spanish champions Real Madrid andhad set a date for a meeting with the club.

"It's not a question of figures. Zidane is not on the market because he has signed a five-year contract with us," said Giraudo.

"He's an important man and we're proud to have signed him when he was a promising player at Bordeaux for 3.2 million dollars," said Giraudo.

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The Frenchman, whose contract with the Turin giants expires in 2005, has often been linked with moves to Spain - with claims that his Spanish wife wants to return to her homeland.

Zidane, who is holidaying in Tahiti until July 10th, fuelled speculation that he was ready for a move by admitting on Saturday that he wanted to moveto Real Madrid.

But his agent, Alain Migliaccio, admitted: "If Juve doesn't want it Zidane won't leave."

AFP