Zidane explains head-butt incident 33 minutes ago PARIS - French soccer star Zinedine Zidane apologized for head-butting an Italian opponent during the World Cup final, saying Wednesday that he was provoked by harsh insults about his mother and sister. "I apologize, to all the children" who watched the match Sunday, Zidane said in his first, highly awaited comments about the brutal act of violence that marked the end of his career. The 34-year-old midfielder, soft-spoken and relaxed in the interview with the Canal-Plus television network, did not specify exactly what Italian defender Marco Materazzi said that enraged him, but said it was about his family. "I would rather have taken a punch in the jaw than have heard that," Zidane said, stressing that Materazzi's language was "very harsh," and that he repeated the insults several times. Zidane and Materazzi exchanged words after Italy broke up a French attack in extra-time. Seconds later, Zidane lowered his head and rammed Materazzi in the chest, knocking him to the ground. Zidane was sent off, reducing France to 10 men. Italy went on to win in a penalty shootout. The abrupt act of aggression marred the end of the World Cup, with many warning it would tarnish Zidane's formidable legacy. The France captain said, however, that he felt no regret for his act, "because that would mean (Materazzi) was right to say all that." "There was a serious provocation," said Zidane, who said he had never had tensions with Materazzi before. "My act is not forgivable," Zidane said. "But they must also punish the true guilty party, and the guilty party is the one who provokes." "I tell myself that if things happened this way, it's because somewhere up there it was decided that way," he said in a later interview on TF1 television. "And I don't regret anything that happened, I accept it." For days, sports fans around the world have been riveted by the question: What could Materazzi have said to set Zidane off? Media from Brazil to Britain hired lip readers to try to figure it out, then came up with different answers. Materazzi has acknowledged he insulted Zidane, without giving specifics. At nearly the same moment Zidane was on TV, excerpts from an interview that Materazzi gave were posted on an Italian paper's Web site. He denied insulting Zidane's mother. "I didn't say anything to him about racism, religion or politics," Materazzi told the Gazzetta dello Sport. "I didn't talk about his mother either. I lost my mother when I was 15 and even now I still get emotional talking about her." Zidane "has always been my hero," Materazzi said. "I admire him a lot." Despite the head-butt, Zidane was awarded the Golden Ball award for best player at the World Cup — though FIFA president Sepp Blatter has suggested Zidane could be stripped of the honor. "The winner of the award is not decided by FIFA, but by an international commission of journalists," Blatter said in Italian newspaper La Repubblica. "That said, FIFA's executive committee has the right, and the duty, to intervene when faced with behavior contrary to the ethics of the sport." In France, many have already pardoned Zidane, even without his explanation. A poll published Tuesday in Le Parisien newspaper showed that 61 percent of the 802 people questioned forgave Zidane. Zidane said many people have asked him not to retire, but he said he would not change his mind. "I won't go back on it, at least I hope so ... (the decision) it's definitive," he said. In a later interview with TF1 television, Zidane said he was "going to rest, and then move on to something else." Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! He is a Muslim by the way.
I'm sorry, but you are inviting funny rude comments... Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
I really hope they don't take away his award for best player at the world cup. He's a human, the guy insulted him. Ya of course he shouldn't have head butted him, that was just very stupid, but the other guy shouldn't be insulting him, whether insulting the other players is normal during soccer or not.
Your mother is a nigger loving whore. If you would let me say that in your presence then you deseve to be fucked like the pussy you are. If you allow anyone to insult your mother in your face, you should die a cowards death.
But what if she is a nigger loving whore? Like yours. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Soccer blows. But this is sweet.
Zidane is still the man. One headbutt and few other incidents VS about a million excellent plays....yup still the man.
I repeat my post from another thread: About insulting mothers and sisters: Why would I care what you say about my mother if I know it's not true. Your opinion (and comments) are worthless to me so I will ignore them and I will ignore you. Apparently, Zidane valued very much his opponent's opinion, to the point where he risked the world cup and his reputation. Maybe Zidane felt there was a little truth in Materazi's comments. Zidane is an insecure child. And any good parent trying to teach values to their kids is disgusted.
According to wikipedia, he is actually a 'non-practicing' Muslim. But anyways, what does any of that have to do with the head butting incident?
People are just to touchy. It's a sport. People fight in sports. It's rather normal nowadays. It just hapened at a (really) bad time. For Zidane, he was stressed, tired and probably frustrated about the game. Then Materazi comes and says something that pisses him of. Sometimes people snap. Also, Zidane's mother was in the hospital that day, probably making him a little sensitive to that. No excuse, but its not like he drop kicked the guy in the face. It was a headbutt. I find it funny when this incident is compared to Tyson biting that guys ear, or this other guy breaking an oppents neck. Way to blow things out of proportion-Materazi got up and he's fine. As for parents, they should be pissed with both of them-don't throw around insults, and don't head butt people. So they're both children. <SMALL>But Zidane still rocks</SMALL>
Malika Zidane (Zinedine's mother) showed some real class with her comments : Even though they have all the money in the world, and he is greatly talented in the sport, their values are still of trailer park trash and they belong on the jerry springer show.
Billions of people did not witness the insult. Billions of people witnessed the head butt. And how can you put trash talking and hitting on the same level? Yes he's "cool" and a rebel and chicks probably dig him. I wouldn't want him soccer coaching my kids. He sets a bad example to kids who grow up and get voted into office like Bush.
Yes, but everyone knows that there was an insult. Are you saying that it was alright to insult him? For kids, and parents who are looking out for their kids, both are bad, so they should be put on the same level. That stupid saying which says "Sticks and stones my break my bones, but words will never hurt me" is rubbish-words can be just as bad. Children should learn from this instead of be "hurt" by it if they have good, responsible parents who would turn it into a lesson-Niether words or actions are right. And as for Zidane being a role model and such...I know, I'm not saying what he did was right, I was saying that I understand that he is human. Other than that he shouldn't have done what he did...but stuff happens.
You can't be serious. Do you actually think that Materazi's comment was the only insult murmered out during the whole world cup tournament? The only reason we're talking about this is because of Zadine's physical assult (which is a crime btw). With your logic, maybe the next time a man gets insulted by a woman in a bar, the man should just slug her one on the chin. -- the cops should take them both in. But the man still rocks
I say it agian. Sports seem to be exempt from the normals laws the govern the rest of us. Ever watched a hockey game? Anyway you're not listening to me. I said that I didn't think what he did was right. So with your analogy, no I do not think the man should slug the offender(the woman). What I did say was that parents who are pissed should also make sure that their children understand that both of them were wrong. Now I am just repeating myself. I lol'd at the "but the man still rocks". Yes I admit my "But Zidane still rocks" was silly, but I couldn't help it. I like the guy, what can I say?
` "My act is not forgivable," Zidane said. "But they must also punish the true guilty party, and the guilty party is the one who provokes." Spoken like a "psycho-liberal"... Seems to me the way to have gotten back at the guy would have been to win the game, then trot by "the one who provoked", and blurt out something like Yeah... this brother of camel-fukkin' son of a whosamawhatsit - or whatever - just kicked yer friggin' ass, numbnuts... But, hey... whatever...
Wikipedia is wrong. He prays Salat a non -practicing Muslim doesn't do that, he also did an interview for Arabic television and actually said he likes to keep things low key due to the political climate in Europe and racism in football.
Is that the best you can do? I've played and still do play a lot of team sports, insults like that are common place, they're meant to do exactly what Zidane, and yourself, have done; react violently. No discipline.
