It was not due to his footballing ability that comparisons were drawn with the former France star, but because of a headbutt on Cologne rival Salih Ozcan which provided a throwback to the icon.
The midfielder rammed his head into the chest of the opponent much like Zidane did on Materazzi back in the 2006 World Cup final, but the German unbelievably escaped punishment.
The 22-year-old denied any malice, telling 'Sky Sports': "The referee is right next to it. If he had seen assassination, he would have pulled me aside."
Leon Goretzka summoning his inner Zinedine zidane #Schalke04 #Bundesliga #Zidane #Football #TrapaDrive pic.twitter.com/eJhLER9HDF
— SporTalk Magazine (@TheSporTalk) 3 December 2017
"I just want to get up impulsively. I admit that it looks unfortunate. But it was certainly not intentional, I did not want to injure him. My name is not Zinedine Zidane. It is unnecessary to discuss it."