At the initiative of ELA International, Crystalfoot was launched on 12 June at Baccarat in Paris, where Zinedine Zidane unveiled an exceptional work in the presence of many guests, loyal ambassadors and the international press.
A loyal ambassador involved in ELA’s fight for 18 years, Zinédine Zidane himself lifted the veil on this creation in the presence of Guy Alba, President of ELA International, and Jocelyn-Daniel Caufour, Operations Director of Baccarat. Benjamin and Lyna, who live with a leukodystrophy, and their parents were also there in the front row to admire the crystal foot.
To create the replica of the football legend’s left foot, Baccarat mobilised the more than two-hundred-year-old know-how of its most talented craftspeople. Made from the imprint of Zinédine Zidane’s left foot, this crystal work demanded flawless craftsmanship.
Crystalfoot is a numbered, collectable limited series of Zinédine Zidane’s crystal foot. Zidane has been a loyal ELA ambassador since 2000, and the piece was made by Baccarat from the moulded imprint of his left foot. It was with that magic foot that, in 2002, in the Champions League final in Glasgow, he scored an exceptional, historic goal, proving to everyone that “when you are determined and give everything, nothing is impossible”.
Zinédine Zidane wanted his imprint to symbolise his deep attachment to ELA’s fight against leukodystrophies, and chose to offer, through this strong gesture, a genuine message of hope: “we must stand up against this disease, keep fighting it and keep hope even if it is hard, because you are not alone, I will always be there for ELA”.
Together we are stronger to act and beat the disease
With the prestigious Maison Baccarat and the sustained interest of its CEO Daniela Riccardi, who mobilised the more than two-hundred-year-old know-how of its most talented master craftspeople (Nathalie Blaise, Modeller, Knight of Arts and Letters, and Raymond Regnault, Cutter, Meilleur Ouvrier de France), this unprecedented work, created for the benefit of ELA, gives concrete form to the momentum behind the hard fight led by the great ELA family against leukodystrophies.
On 12 June, Zidane’s humanist act was joined by that of François-Henri Pinault, CEO of Kering, and Fatah Boudjelida, Managing Partner of Atoz. They have already decided to be part of the finest team in the world, the one that scores goals against disease and leaves a strong mark on the progress of medical research against leukodystrophies. To support this mission and the development of ELA International, they ordered Crystalfoot with a donation of €40,000 to the Association.
Accelerating medical research on leukodystrophies
For Guy Alba, this humanist imprint symbolises Zinédine Zidane’s deep attachment to ELA’s fight against leukodystrophies and offers a genuine message of hope to people who are ill and their families. In return for a minimum donation of €40,000, the donor receives this exceptional piece, made free of charge by the prestigious Maison Baccarat for the benefit of ELA, to support research on leukodystrophies and ELA’s international development.
Zinédine Zidane, honorary member of ELA, presents Crystalfoot
“I am lucky to do what I love and I am an ELA ambassador. As soon as the ELA family is mentioned, it touches me! You can see a lot in the eyes of children who can hardly move any more. I will carry the look of those kids in me for life. Talking about this project, making sure it is listened to, heard, seen, that it has a strong impact: that is my goal. We must stand up to this disease, fight it, try to eliminate it, to defeat it. It is not easy, because daily life is hard to live, but we must believe that one day all this will stop. That is my message, for all the families. Even if it is hard, keep hope, and I will always be there for ELA.”
For more information: www.crystalfoot.eu