It's become increasingly fashionable for senior players to retire from international football before concluding their club careers, as the extra time off allows them more rest and recovery. Many believed that was Zidane's reason for quitting; he was getting old and wanted to preserve himself for Real Madrid. Last spring, the Spanish sports paper Marca even published a shocking exclusive revealing that Zidane was suffering from a withering genetic ailment which was gradually destroying his fitness.This turned out not to be an exclusive at all: Zidane had always openly admitted to suffering from thalassemia, a genetic disorder affecting haemoglobin production which is common among North Africans and Italians. The severe form of the disease kills sufferers at an early stage of life, but the mild form Zidane has causes nothing more serious than profuse sweating during games (he reportedly drinks five litres of water a day).