Mason Greenwood meets Zinedine Zidane as Marseille squad visits France & Real Madrid legend's new padel centre (original) (raw)

GFX Mason Greenwood Zinedine ZidaneGetty/GOAL

Marseille forward Mason Greenwood and his team-mates enjoyed a memorable mid-week team-building session at a state-of-the-art padel complex. Following a recent league victory, manager Habib Beye took the squad to meet football icon Zinedine Zidane. The players swapped the grass pitch for the courts, bonding and shaking hands with the 1998 World Cup winner.

The Marseille squad paid a visit to the Z5 Padel centre on Monday, three days after securing a 1-0 victory in Ligue 1 against Auxerre. The highlight of the excursion was the presence of Zidane, the former France and Real Madrid great. During the visit, Greenwood was pictured shaking hands with the iconic midfielder as the team gathered for a group bonding session. Beye orchestrated the trip to reward his players and maintain high spirits during a demanding domestic campaign, allowing them to relax and engage in friendly competition off the pitch.

The club quickly shared the memorable occasion with their supporters. Marseille’s official Instagram account published several photographs featuring Zidane posing alongside the team's top stars. "Padel time. Cohesion, sharing and a warm atmosphere at the rendezvous," the caption read. "Padel afternoon in the company of the most famous Marseillais on the planet. Thank you to Z5 Padel and to Monsieur Zinédine Zidane for their wonderful welcome."

English forward Greenwood has been in fine form since completing a permanent €26 million transfer from Manchester United in July 2024. Across 38 appearances in all competitions this season, he has registered an impressive 25 goals and eight assists while his domestic tally includes 15 goals in 25 Ligue 1 matches. In Europe, he has added three goals in eight Champions League outings.

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What next for Marseille

With their batteries recharged, the focus now shifts back to domestic duties. Marseille currently sit third in the Ligue 1 table with 49 points, trailing behind leaders Paris Saint-Germain and second-placed Lens. Their recent 1-0 triumph over Auxerre on Friday has kept them firmly in the race for European qualification spots. Next up, they face a challenging home fixture against fifth-placed Lille on Sunday. Following that encounter, they will travel to face Monaco on April 5, before hosting Metz a few days later.