When Zizou went zzz …

As the best player in the world, he was supposed to have grown into a natural leader. On Friday, Zinedine Zidane was not up to the challenge...

As the best player in the world, he was supposed to have grown into a natural leader. On Friday, Zinedine Zidane was not up to the challenge and France was eliminated by underdog Greece 1-0 in the quarterfinals of Euro 2004.

The defeat signals the likely end of a generation for the French team, which has a slew of 30-something players including defenders Marcel Desailly, Lilian Thuram and Bixente Lizarazu.

Slow and sullen throughout, captain Zidane failed to take charge of the defending champion and the Greeks made up for a lack of talent with something the silky smooth players from France sorely missed — heart and commitment.

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“We are all responsible for our elimination,” said Zidane afterward. “Too many technical mistakes and a lack of ideas in thel ast part of the game did not allow us to come back after a great goal,” added France coach Jacques Santini, in what could be seen as criticism of his captain. Apart from Real Madrid’s Zidane, Arsenal’s Thierry Henry also had a lacklustre performance and France never came close to showing the form that allowed it to build a 22-game unbeaten streak, which was snapped Friday.

It was the second disastrous tournament in a row for France, which crashed out in the first round of the 2002 World Cup.

Add the injury to midfield mainstay Patrick Vieira and it spelled big trouble for France. After the demise of Desailly, Zidane, 32, was forced into the role of leader of Les Bleus and it never came easy. He saved France with two injury time goals against England for a 2-1 win, but failed badly on Friday.

During the first half, Zidane struggled along with his team against a Greece which had little more to offer than gritty determination.

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During France’s famous 1998 World Cup run, the captaincy was in the hands of Didier Deschamps, a dogged midfielder with few refined skills but a determination which fueld the whole team.

In comparison, Zidane was meek. Most of the time, he trotted around the field in an imperial jog, counting on Claude Makelele or Olivier Dacourt to do the hard work.