David Beckham has revealed that Zinedine Zidane pulled out of Saturday's UNICEF charity match at Old Trafford due to his devastation at the terror attacks on Paris.
At least 129 people have been known to have been killed in a series of incidents across the French capital on Friday night, leaving the country in a state of emergency.
Zidane was due to play Rest of the World against a Great Britain XI side, but made the decision – along with Patrick Vieira – to withdraw from the contest.
Beckham has disclosed that his former Real Madrid teammate was extremely distressed at the news emerging from Paris over the course of the past 24 hours.
"There was slight concern once the news hit last night. It's terribly devastating to see," Beckham told reporters.
"I understood why Zizou took the decision not to play. He was very respectful to me but I totally understood. He's a friend and also a very passionate man.
"It hit him very hard. Everyone, the managers, players and everyone involved sends their condolences. Our hearts go out to everyone in Paris."
Despite the attacks, England's friendly match against France will go ahead on Tuesday at Wembley.
Simon Sinclair
