Goalkeeper for Algeria, Luca Zidane carries a heavy legacy, expected to deliver in every match because of the name he bears. However, Luca is not the first Zidane to play for Algeria. Indeed, another Zidane wore the number 10 for Algeria, not Zinedine, who won the 1998 World Cup with France, but Djamel Zidane.

Having won the award for best young Algerian footballer, Zidane left Algeria in 1976 for Europe. After various stints in lower divisions in France and Belgium, the playmaker exploded onto the scene in the Belgian first division, even earning the title of best foreign player in the league. He played successively for KV Kortrijk (1980-1984) and then KSV Waterschei (1984-1987). A regular in the national team from the youth ranks, and even though he didn't make any appearances between 1975 and 1981, Zidane earned a total of 15 caps, including five at the 1982 Spain and 1986 Mexico World Cups.

Six years after his debut in the green and white jersey, on January 8, 1975, in a friendly match against Albania, Zidane's return to the national team coincided with the golden age of Algerian football. Scoring his first goal for the national team on October 10, 1981, in Lagos against Nigeria (2-0), during World Cup qualifying, he traveled to Spain with the Fennecs for the country's historic participation in the World Cup. He scored a superb free kick in the 1986 edition against Northern Ireland (1-1).

Throughout his sporting career, in Algeria or Belgium, Djamel Zidane never received a red card. He is also one of the only players of his generation to have played in all categories of the Algerian national teams since 1972, from cadets, juniors, under-23s, university and seniors.

In April 2002, an interview was arranged with Zinedine Zidane, the famous number 10 of the French national team, who is of Algerian descent; the two players, who share the same surname, are not related. Even though he doesn't yet have the career of his father Zinedine or that of Djamel Zidane, Luca now has the opportunity to shine with Algeria in the round of 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations.