War & Peace Quote by Zinedine Zidane

Zidane’s praise lands like a veteran’s warning disguised as sportsmanship. “Must always be respected” isn’t a compliment so much as a directive: don’t let the badge and the headlines trick you into thinking England are fragile or unserious. Coming from a player and coach who’s lived inside the highest-stakes nights, “respect” is code for tactical discipline and psychological readiness. It’s what you say publicly when you’re trying to keep your own side from drifting into complacency - and what you say about an opponent whose reputation doesn’t always match their talent.

The second line does the real work. “They always fight to the end” taps into England’s most persistent football myth: the idea of grit as identity. For decades, England have been framed (often by their own media) as a team that can underperform aesthetically but still drag games into chaos through sheer will. Zidane plays into that narrative, but with a pragmatic edge. Fighting to the end also means they’re dangerous when you think the game is finished: late set pieces, momentum swings, crowd energy, a tournament’s pressure cooking into stoppage time.

The subtext is also diplomatic. Zidane knows English football is a global megaphone; praising England buys goodwill and deflects the noise that follows any major match involving them. It’s respect with an agenda: steady your own camp, flatter the opponent, and underline a simple truth tournament football keeps teaching - reputations fade, but resilience can steal results.