Zidane banned for three matches, Materazzi two over World Cup head-butt

AP ^ | 2006-07-20

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ZURICH, Switzerland (AP)—Zinedine Zidane was banned by FIFA for three games Thursday for head-butting Italy defender Marco Materazzi during the World Cup final.

Materazzi was suspended for two matches.

World soccer's governing body also fined Zidane $6,000 and Materazzi $4,000 after a disciplinary committee heard the former France captain's account of what led to the incident.

Because Zidane has retired, he agreed to do three days of community service with children as part of FIFA's humanitarian projects.

Zidane has said he attacked Materazzi because he insulted his mother and sister, while Materazzi denied insulting Zidane's mother.

“Both players stressed that Materazzi's comments had been defamatory but not of a racist nature,” FIFA said in a statement.

The players apologized to FIFA for “their inappropriate behavior and expressed their regret at the incident,” FIFA said.

Zidane was sent off for ramming Materazzi in the chest with his head during the final, played July 9 in Berlin.

Zidane, who had already submitted written testimony, spent about 90 minutes in a private hearing Thursday morning before a five-man FIFA committee. Materazzi appeared before the FIFA panel last week.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has suggested Zidane, widely considered one of the greatest players of his generation, could be stripped of his Golden Ball award as the World Cup's best player.

In a French television appearance last week, Zidane apologized to children who watched the match, but said he didn't regret his actions because he was provoked by repeated harsh insults about his family.

Playing in extra time in his farewell game, Zidane and Materazzi exchanged words as the two walked up field. Zidane appeared to be distancing himself from the Italian, but then turned, lowered his bald head, and drove it into Materazzi's chest—knocking him to the ground.

Italy went on to win its fourth World Cup, 5-3 on penalties after a 1-1 extra-time draw.

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Trash talking is all of a sudden a banishable offense?

Not all of a sudden but all of the time. From the FIFA Disciplinary Code:

Article 52—Serious infringements

A player is sent off if he commits one of the following infringements (cf. Law 12 of the Laws of the Game and art. 19 above):

• serious foul play such as excessive or brute force;
• brutal action such as violent or aggressive conduct;
• spitting at an opponent or anyone else;
• denying the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball;
• denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity to an opponent moving towards the opposing goal by committing an infringement punishable by a free kick or a penalty kick;
• making offensive, insulting or abusive remarks;
• second caution during the same match (cf. art. 18 par. 2).

“Trash talk” is uncivilized and disgusting behavior. It must not be tolerated.