About Jean Varraud
Lived 1919 – 2006 (aged 87). Jean Varraud was a French association football player and scout.
Jean Philippe Varraud (; 10 May 1919 – 24 June 2006) was a French footballer and scout.
Playing and coaching career Varraud played as a footballer for Saint-Étienne,
He later worked as a youth coach at Cannes, from the 1950s until 1980, while working as a scout for Cannes, he spotted a 15-year-old Zinedine Zidane at the CREPS in Aix-en-Provence. Varraud recommended him to manager Jean Fernandez, who later gave him his French Division 1 debut in May 1989 against FC Nantes. Shortly after Zidane joined Cannes, Varraud was tasked with helping him channel his anger to focus more on the match itself, and ended up putting Zidane on cleaning duty during his first weeks as a punishment for punching an opponent who had mocked his background. Zidane would go on to be considered one of the best footballers of all time, and later credited Varraud as the person who most influenced his development in football,
During his time as a scout for Cannes, he also discovered Peter Luccin, Pascal Bedrossian, and Gilles Hampartzoumian.
Death Varraud died in Cannes on 24 June 2006, at the age of 87,
Following Zidane's headbutt during the 2006 FIFA World Cup final, internet rumours started circulating that it was triggered by Marco Materazzi gloating about Varraud's death.
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Important facts
People in Jean Varraud's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Jean Varraud's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Jean Varraud?
French footballer and scout (1919-2006)
When was Jean Varraud born?
Jean Varraud was born on 10 May 1919 in Saint-Étienne.
When did Jean Varraud die?
Jean Varraud died on 24 June 2006 in Cannes.
What was Jean Varraud's occupation?
Jean Varraud was an association football player and scout.
What nationality was Jean Varraud?
Jean Varraud was French.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Jean Varraud. https://biography.guide/jean-varraud/
MLA: "Jean Varraud." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/jean-varraud/.
Chicago: "Jean Varraud." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/jean-varraud/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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