Zidane, Barthez and Papin reunited in Bayonne for sick children

Zinedine Zidane, Fabien Barthez, Jean-Pierre Papin and Laurent Blanc will play at Jean-Dauger Stadium in Bayonne on October 27 (7:30 p.m.) for a charity gala match. All proceeds will go entirely to the association « A Smile, A Hope for Life », founded in 2006 by former goalkeeper Pascal Olmeta to support sick children and their families.

The event takes on particular significance this year: it celebrates the association’s 20th anniversary, and Zidane is participating for the first time since his appointment as head coach of the French national team. He will be accompanied by his goalkeeping coach Fabien Barthez and his long-time friend Bixente Lizarazu, forming a trio familiar to supporters of the Blues from the 1990s-2000s.

The roster doesn’t end there. Several former international rugby players, regulars in the Basque Country, have also answered the call: Sébastien Chabal, Imanol Harinordoquy, Dimitri Yachvili and Camille Lopez are notably announced to play on the pitch where Aviron Bayonnais usually competes.

Pascal Olmeta explained his association’s philosophy: « Some families struggle with sick children, the idea is to make them dream. This year, we took children to Eurodisney, we went to Canada. We’re also going to accompany single mothers facing illness to a Céline Dion concert. When we told them, they cried on the phone. »

In previous editions, the match generated between 100,000 and 170,000 euros in proceeds. Tickets for this anniversary edition are available at prices ranging from €12.50 to €42.50.