WORLD CUP 2006 / GERMANY

[ASNL77]

and who cares what was supposedly said to zidane, that head butt deserved a red card, to me it did not matter who saw it,as long as they removed that idiot from the playing field.

I assume that with a name like this, nobody would expect you to defend Zidane. I have a slightly different view on that matter. If the guy really said that Zidane is a terrorist or said something really offensive, I would regard his words as MUCH MORE serious than what Zidane did. I'd even say that I wish Zidane had really done him more damage....

[ASNL77]

and who cares what was supposedly said to zidane, that head butt deserved a red card, to me it did not matter who saw it,as long as they removed that idiot from the playing field.

Shall we do the same here?? Edited July 10, 2006 by ASNL77

[mike casinghino]

asnl77, anyone can say anything they want to about materazzi,and no one says anything, but i say that zidane is a jerk, and i'm the idiot? pal, i don't care what you think, all i know is that the trophy is in italy!!!

[couw]

... but i say that zidane is a jerk, and i'm the idiot?

no, you said you didn't care what Materazzi did to provoke and that you didn't care about how the red card came to be, basically closing your eyes to the discussion in this thread and in the media worldwide. That's pretty idiotic.

Edited July 10, 2006 by couw

[ASNL77]

asnl77, anyone can say anything they want to about materazzi,and no one says anything, but i say that zidane is a jerk, and i'm the idiot? pal, i don't care what you think, all i know is that the trophy is in italy!!!

Nobody is denying that the trophy is in Italy! I am afraid ' winning at all cost' is not my motto. If winning is everything to you and if you are happy with this scenario, whatever Materazzi said, I don't envy your life and your world cup! I am sure I won't be the only board member to feel like this. Anyway, we are going to know much more about the virtues of Italian football in the coming weeks and a lot of the guys who won last night are very likely to be implicated in this scandal. But who cares? The trophy is in Italy!!

[Brad]

asnl77, anyone can say anything they want to about materazzi,and no one says anything, but i say that zidane is a jerk, and i'm the idiot? pal, i don't care what you think, all i know is that the trophy is in italy!!!

Nobody is denying that the trophy is in Italy! I am afraid ' winning at all cost' is not my motto. If winning is everything to you and if you are happy with this scenario, whatever Materazzi said, I don't envy your life and your world cup! I am sure I won't be the only board member to feel like this. Anyway, we are going to know much more about the virtues of Italian football in the coming weeks and a lot of the guys who won last night are very likely to be implicated in this scandal. But who cares? The trophy is in Italy!!

A tainted trophy in my view.

[Brad]

asnl77, anyone can say anything they want to about materazzi,and no one says anything, but i say that zidane is a jerk, and i'm the idiot? pal, i don't care what you think, all i know is that the trophy is in italy!!!

When they write the history of football and look at the pantheon of heroes, Zidane's will rank up with the great names (although slightly tarnished by this incident) whereas Matarazzi will only be remembered for his one goal and his attempts to bring Zidane down.

[mike casinghino]

my final word, if there was a head butt for every supposed derogatory comment made, would there be any players left on the field? zidane can't control himself in ot of the world cup final, i stand by my previous posts. as i mentioned earlier, did anyone see the highlight film of zidanes head butts on espn today, why no comments on that? this dude does not deserve any sympathy.

(the highlight film on espn included head butts over the years, not just the one in the 2006 world cup final).

Edited July 10, 2006 by mike casinghino

[couw]

my final word, if there was a head butt for every supposed derogatory comment made, would there be any players left on the field? zidane can't control himself in ot of the world cup final, i stand by my previous posts. as i mentioned earlier, did anyone see the highlight film of zidanes head butts on espn today, why no comments on that? this dude does not deserve any sympathy.

This is the lame way out: Lee Harvey acted alone and file closed. Makes for real bad films. Of course if you need a simple view on life with easily identifiable enemies...

And the dude DOES deserve loads of sympathy for growing out of the ghetto and making a difference to many people. Everybody knew the guy had this "dark" side that flashed up on rare occasions. It is a damn pity that it needs to flash once more at the end of his career.

So maybe instead of acting like you started watching football only yesterday, you can bring it over yourself to mourn a little with the rest of us about this sad finish of one of the true greats of the game.

[Alexander Hawkins]

I don't believe anyone who knows the game will regard Zidane's reputation as in the slightest bit tarnished. We've all seen him head-butt before, and it's hardly unusual to see disciplinary abhorrences like this on the pitch week in week out from one player or another. What we will appreciate is his mastery with - and, equally, without (see how he draws players) - the football, which has been unequalled since late 80s Maradona. And Zizou was certainly more serene on the football than Maradona.

Who cares that Italy have the trophy? Italians I guess. But that'll go away in 4 years, for sure. Zidane will be remembered as a legend of the game for as long as the game itself exists.

[Indestructible!]

Anyway, we are going to know much more about the virtues of Italian football in the coming weeks and a lot of the guys who won last night are very likely to be implicated in this scandal. But who cares? The trophy is in Italy!!

Wait a minute. As far as I've heard about the Italian match-fixing scandal, no players are involved, correct? So, to whom are you referring when you say that "the guys who won last night are very likely to be implicated in this scandal"? Are you referring to just the Italian players who play for Juventus, Lazio, etc., or does your statement apply to the French players who play for these squads as well?

Don't get me wrong... I'm no major fan of the Italian side (or Materazzi, especially), but I don't think the players should be tarred with the same brush that some of their employers will (hopefully) be covered in.

Red... you asked the question "Who cares that Italy have the trophy? Italians I guess. But that'll go away in 4 years, for sure. Zidane will be remembered as a legend of the game for as long as the game itself exists."

Are you serious about this??? Surely you realize that EVERYONE will also remember the fact that the Italians won their fourth World Cup trophy... and that WON'T fade after 4 years! In fact, like Zidane, this win will be remembered forever. And not by just the Italians... by the entire world.

Why take anything away from the Italian side? They won. Did they dive? Yes. Did they foul? Yes. Did they bend the rules as much as they could? Yes? But show me one team who didn't dive, foul, or bend the rules to their advantage when they could. The French did it, the Germans did it, Portugal sure as hell did it... This is what the game is at the professional level. I don't like it any more than most of us here, but I know enough to say that ALL teams do it to some extent. The Italians weren't the worst of the lot, they won the Cup, and I tip my hat to them.

And if France had won instead, I'd tip my hat to them as well.

Cheers,

Shane

[Jazzmoose]

asnl77, anyone can say anything they want to about materazzi,and no one says anything, but i say that zidane is a jerk, and i'm the idiot? pal, i don't care what you think, all i know is that the trophy is in italy!!!

When they write the history of football and look at the pantheon of heroes, Zidane's will rank up with the great names (although slightly tarnished by this incident) whereas Matarazzi will only be remembered for his one goal and his attempts to bring Zidane down.

I would agree EXCEPT that this isn't the first time Zidane has done something like this. Admittedly, I'm not the world's biggest football fan, but isn't this the same player that stomped on another player in '98? This is obviously someone who has issues, not someone who accidently lost it one time...

[Brad]

asnl77, anyone can say anything they want to about materazzi,and no one says anything, but i say that zidane is a jerk, and i'm the idiot? pal, i don't care what you think, all i know is that the trophy is in italy!!!

When they write the history of football and look at the pantheon of heroes, Zidane's will rank up with the great names (although slightly tarnished by this incident) whereas Matarazzi will only be remembered for his one goal and his attempts to bring Zidane down.

I would agree EXCEPT that this isn't the first time Zidane has done something like this. Admittedly, I'm not the world's biggest football fan, but isn't this the same player that stomped on another player in '98? This is obviously someone who has issues, not someone who accidently lost it one time...

Yes, he did that and under circumstances he won't discuss. However, that didn't diminish his stature. Saying he has issues is a little strong. Contrary to what most Americans think, this is a tough game and things happen out there, as we've seen from this match and others.

I will never forget some of the things he did out there such as beat Brasil in 98 and the rocket he fired past Bayer Leverkusen to win the Champions League for Real Madrid. Outside of the World Cup and the European Championship, that is the most prestigious title there is and in the world of club football (as opposed to national teams), that is THE title.

[Brad]

This is something we can all enjoy. I just heard that Portugal was voted the most entertaining team of this World Cup Aye, that they were.

[birdanddizzy]

This is something we can all enjoy. I just heard that Portugal was voted the most entertaining team of this World Cup Aye, that they were.

World champion of yellow and red cards...

[birdanddizzy]

Yesterday Zinédine Zidane said that he will explain his act in the upcoming days.

[Clunky]

This is something we can all enjoy. I just heard that Portugal was voted the most entertaining team of this World Cup Aye, that they were.

World champion of yellow and red cards...

I think Portugal could have done better, they deserved more Reds and Yellows than they got ,....

...if only the fifith official got his feet off the desk and checked his VCR like he did for Zidane

[Alexander Hawkins]

Red... you asked the question "Who cares that Italy have the trophy? Italians I guess. But that'll go away in 4 years, for sure. Zidane will be remembered as a legend of the game for as long as the game itself exists."

Are you serious about this??? Surely you realize that EVERYONE will also remember the fact that the Italians won their fourth World Cup trophy... and that WON'T fade after 4 years! In fact, like Zidane, this win will be remembered forever. And not by just the Italians... by the entire world.

Shane - I take the point...but I would say who cares now about Germany's third in 1990? Who cares about Brazil's frankly tedious 4th in 1994? Or, for that matter, their only slightly more entertaining 5th 4 years ago? I do accept the point to an extent, like I say, but I do think there have been more World Cups than truly great players...

And I should have put it differently - I don't begrudge the Italians the victory in the slightest. Sure, I was supporting France, but the Italians were a good side, and one of the sides which could be said to have been deserving, over the course of the tournament.

[Brad]

In today's BBC:

Italy defender Marco Materazzi says he did insult France's Zinedine Zidane during the World Cup final, just before Zidane was sent off for a headbutt.

But Materazzi denied reports he called Zidane a "terrorist" or used insulting language towards Zidane's mother.

"It was the kind of insult you will hear dozens of times and just slips out of the ground," Materazzi is quoted in Italian paper La Gazetta dello Sport.

"I didn't call Zidane a terrorist and certainly didn't mention his mother."

Zidane looked at me with super arrogance... it's true I shot back with an insult

Marco Materazzi

Zidane, who was born and grew up in Marseille, is the son of Algerian immigrants and has suffered taunts about his heritage throughout his football career.

But Materazzi added: "I am ignorant, I don't even know what an Islamic terrorist is; my only terrorist is her," he said pointing to his 10-month-old daughter.

"I did not bring up Zidane's mother; for me a mother is sacred."

Materazzi and Zidane became involved in a verbal spat with 10 minutes to go in extra-time with France and Italy drawing 1-1 in the World Cup final.

After Materazzi's insult Zidane shoved his head into the Italian's chest and was sent off, with Italy going on to win the match 5-3 on penalties.

"I held his shirt, for only a few seconds," said Materazzi, who had scored Italy's equaliser after Zidane put France ahead from the penalty spot.

"He turned towards me and scoffed at me, looking at me with super arrogance, up and down.

"He said 'if you really want my shirt, you can have it later.'

"It's true, I shot back with an insult."

Just what did Materazzi say to provoke this reaction from Zidane?

Media organisations across Europe have been trying to decipher what Materazzi said to provoke such an extreme reaction from Zidane.

But it remains unclear exactly what was said and the BBC has broadcast two different versions.

BBC Radio Five Live asked for help from a deaf lip reader, Jessica Rees, who read the words phonetically to an Italian translator.

She deciphered the insult as being "you're the son of a terrorist whore" - a translation also carried by many national newspapers in Britain on Tuesday.

The BBC's Ten O'Clock News also called in experts to study the television footage of the incident and determined the following:

Materazzi's first word to Zidane was "no" before he then told him to "calm down".

He then accused him of being a "liar" and wished "an ugly death to you and your family" on the day the Frenchman's mother had been taken to hospital ill. This was followed by "Go f*** yourself".

Zidane's agent, Alain Migliaccio, has hinted that Zidane will soon reveal exactly what was said by Materazzi.

Piara Powar, national co-ordinator for the anti-racism group Kick It Out told Five Live, said: "If there was a racial slur then Fifa needs to act."

Keith Hackett, head of referees in England, said that if it can be proved that Matterazzi racially abused the Frenchman, then Fifa should take retrospective action for "the good of the game."

[Dmitry]

AND NOW - THE MAN OF THE TOURNAMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Brad]

FIFA have announced that they are opening an investigation (FWIW) into the red card. I presume they're doing this in light of Materazzi's admission that he did insult Zidane.

[birdanddizzy]

I think something changed on the .gif Where is Zizou ???

[couw]

AND NOW - THE MAN OF THE TOURNAMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

cute

[Dmitry]

ZURICH (AFP) - FIFA has opened a disciplinary investigation into the actions of French skipper Zinedine Zidane who was sent off in the World Cup final for head-butting an Italian opponent.

A FIFA press release said that in a dramatic final there were incidents towards the end of the match that they wanted to clarify.

"Referee Horacio Elizondo sent off French player Zinedine Zidane for an act of violence against Marco Materazzi in the 110th minute," FIFA said Tuesday.

"The incident was directly observed (without the use of a monitor) by fourth official Luis Medina Cantalejo from his position at the pitchside, who informed the referee and his assistants through the communications system.

FIFA will open a disciplinary investigation into Zidane's conduct to enable it to clarify the circumstances surrounding the incident as exactly as possible."

Zidane became just the fourth player to be sent off in a World Cup final when he rammed his head into the chest of Italian defender Marco Materazzi in th second period of extra-time knocking him to the ground.

The referee did not see the off-the-ball incident but pulled out his red card after consulting one of his linesmen.

The game went to penalties which Italy won 5-3.

Any disciplinary action against Zidane will be largely symbolic as he has already announced his retirement as a professional football player.

[Dave James]

He called me a terrorist. Well, whaaaah. None of these clowns would last a second in today's NBA. Maybe they're all just ultra-sensitive. That would help explain why diving and faking injuries is a way of life in professional soccer.

With regard to the sport's inability to make much headway in the U.S., Pat Buchanan related a clever aside on the McLaughlin Group last Friday night. He said soccer was like the metric system in short pants.

Up over and out.