Posted on 07/10/2006 7:32:00 PM PDT by SkyPilot
Our correspondent finds out what may have caused a great player to lose his head in such spectacular style
WITH his monkish mien backed by a sense of brooding menace, Zinédine Zidane has always been something of an enigma, so it is perhaps fitting that the final act of his career should be the source of such mystery. Just why did a man blessed with complete control of a football lose his head in such a violent manner at such a crucial moment, boring it into the chest of Marco Materazzi?
As LEquipe summed up the moment of madness with a headline of Regrets Éternels, a day of endless questioning began. With many conflicting versions of events circling on the internet and in the worlds media, The Times enlisted the help of an expert lip reader, Jessica Rees, to determine the precise nature of the dialogue that caused Zidane to react in such a manner.
After an exhaustive study of the match video, and with the help of an Italian translator, Rees claimed that Materazzi called Zidane the son of a terrorist whore before adding so just f*** off for good measure, supporting the natural assumption that the Frenchman must have been grievously insulted.
(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...
Yes, Zidane's exit likely did not affect the outcome of the match. If Materazzi truly said that about Zidane's mother, he got what he deserved, as did Zidane. At least Zidane had the decency to accept his fate and not argue that he shouldn't have been ejected. I'm sure Materazzi and the other Italians were jawing at Zidane the entire game, and he chose his moment so he could minimize the impact on his team. He would've gotten away with it had the fourth FIFA official not seen the incident.
This is a real stretch, but imagine if Tiger Woods' playing partner had said something derogatory about Earl Woods. There would be one fewer pro golfer on the PGA tour today, and justifiably so. Of course, I'm assuming it would be impossible for one to swing a golf club with a golf ball permanently embedded in the back of one's skull. On a side note, I'm glad to see Tiger getting his mojo back.
I kind of like the fact that Zidane seems to be taking the "what happens on the pitch stays on the pitch" line about the incident.
Where did everyone go?
I was havin' fun watchin' y'all beat up on each other!
Weird indeed, is it not? If you read through the soccer threads as I do you'll notice the same trolls again and again, always spouting the same tired lines.
If you ask me, I think the legacy sports fans are getting a little nervous that this soccer thing is catching on and they're peeing in their Depends.
The best way to answer school yard taunts is to play better.
Shame that at 34 years of age, Zilzane is still an immature spoiled child.
Agree. The Italians were mugging him physically during the match so it went beyond mere words. I thought he accepted the decision stocially and like a man. It was his last game, at least as a member of the national team. It is too bad that his career had to end that way, but he did receive the honor as best player during the World Cup. He is a legend and over time, his reputation won't suffer.
this kind of reminds me of Dan rather.. could have gone out with sportsmanship, dignity untouched.. but chose to be a punk and soiled himself in fron of the nation
Are you joking, he most certainly argued.
well I bet he's thinking very hard about what he told the Italian that greased the wheels on this whole mess...
Yes. Meanwhile, here's a chance for soccer to really appeal to US fans. Encourage violent incidents like this...in the true spirit of baseball brawls, "I went to a fight and a hockey
game broke out", etc. And start off each match with that world wrestling guy saying, "Lllllllllllet's get ready to rumble!!!!!!!!!!!"
FULL CONTACT SOCCER!
Zidane is no more a Muslim than you are.
Unless you think its genetic?
If you followed the earlier games, Figo, the Portugal captain, also head-butted an opponent, and didn't get caught.
Here's a rationale:
A fist and a punch are almost always seen by the refs, and result in instant ejection.
Option two is to wait until the next hard play, and then take out the opponent's knee -- but this is more of an 'escalation' among the players' because this puts players' careers at risk -- so 'clean' players don't go there. (Although Matarazzi would do that to an opponent in a nanosecond, as he's a well known cheap-shot artist).
The third option is the discrete head butt. It sends a message, and it happens quickly -- the recipient knows the message being sent. It won't cripple anyone.
The only problem was that Zidane was SO angry that, once he started the head-butt, he threw all his weight into it. Matarazzi went with the flow, to dramatize. And -- it wasn't private anymore.
See post #8.
Wow - please see post #8.
Well, then, you bring it up with the news sites that reported it, including the BBC, not with me.
No surprise that you would defend the cheating Italians. Still, at least France beat the crap out of the appallingly average Brazil side.
Au contraire. Zidane is most unlike the whining cheating Portuguese and Italian players who did their best to ruin the World Cup. He could have whined after the match about his opponent but remained silent.
I thought he called him a Frog Surrender Monkey.
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