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The Zidane Headbutt

The Zidane headbutt is like the death of Lady Di or the assassination of JFK, in that we all remember where we were on the fateful day that Zinedine Zidane headbutted Italy’s Marco Materazzi. It was, without a doubt the, most tragic and controversial exit the sport of football has ever seen.

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Image source: Juventibus

Introduction: The Zidane Headbutt

First off, we should say that the Frenchman Zidane had already announced that, before the competition had even started, that the 2006 World Cup would be his last. He would be retiring after this series of games in Germany. Never the less, his inspired play and leadership actually galvanized the French squad, “Les Bleus”. They went on to play exceedingly well, especially as they had been written off before the start of the competition. And then everything changed thanks to the Zidane and his temperament.

The France:Italy Match

During the match in Berlin, Zidane put France ahead with an excellent penalty kick which appeared to be almost effortless. Yet 19 minutes later, the Italian Materazzi was able to equalize with a spectacular header. The match went on into extra time, with the scores level at 1:1. There appeared to be some shirt tugging and other provocations, when without warning, Zidane forcefully headbutted the Italian playing in the chest, sending him tumbling to the floor.

The Zidane Headbutt: It’s All Over

Within seconds, the Argentinean referee, Horacio Marcelo Elizondo, showed a red card and the competition was all over for the French Captain. Italy would go on to win the match during a penalty shoot-out, 5:3. They would become the World Champions for the fourth time. But in spite, or maybe because of their victory, or rather the French loss, the talking points were to focus on that act of violence that was to mar the whole of the 2006 World Cup.

What Did Materazzi Say?

As you can imagine, the press had a field day. Though there was much criticism reserved for Zidane, the focus gradually moved to the Italian player, Materazzi. The thing was that Zidane was a very respected player. No one could imagine him doing such a thing unless that is, he was at the limit. So what did Materazzi say that would provoke such a strong reaction? Not just ending the Frenchman’s own career on such a bummer, but also helping send his own team out of the 2006 World Cup final.

Nothing From Zidane

Over the following few days, Zidane was giving little away. He did say that the insult was very personal and concerned both his mother and his sister. But goading your opponent on the field is part and parcel of every team sport. You want them to break their concentration in an effort to get them to play worse. But the Zidane headbutt was a step too far. “You hear those things once and you try to walk away,” he said on July 12, 2006. “That’s what I wanted to do because I am retiring. You hear it a second time and then a third time…”. Unfortunately for the Italian, Marerazzi already had quite a reputation as a trouble maker and an agent provocateur. Coupled with his aggressive on-pitch play gave him the nickname, “The Matrix”. This was a nod to his unpredictable behavior. Never the less, he refused to apologize at the time. It appeared that the Italian was going to give no reasons for the Zidane headbutt.

There are similar anecdotes about George Best as well…

The Explanation

But in September of the same year, Materazzi did shed some light on what he said to Zidane. Though he claimed he said nothing about the Frenchman’s mother, he did insult his sister. He told the Italian Sports daily, Gazzetta Dello Sport: “I was tugging his shirt, he said to me ‘if you want my shirt so much I’ll give it to you afterward’. I answered that I’d prefer his sister.” He went on to say, “It’s not a particularly nice thing to say, I recognize that. But loads of players say worse things. I didn’t even know he had a sister before all this happened.”

The Evolving Story

But then a year later, Materazzi appeared on the TV lists show, Sorrisi e Canzoni and revealed yet more details about the Zidane headbutt. He claimed that after Zidane had ironically offered him his shirt that he replied: “I’d prefer your whore of a sister”, making use of the Italian word “puttana”, which means whore or tart. Though the accompanying act of violence was difficult to account for, some have mentioned that it’s because Zidane is a Muslim, and a direct insult on his sister would have serious consequences. The French newspaper, La Republica said that Zidane would have felt that his honor was somehow hurt. This stems from a cultural belief that the “honor of a Muslim woman”, his sister Lila, was insulted. He was, therefore, duty-bound to seek vengeance.

The Zidane Headbutt: No Apology

Then in 2010, the Frenchman again refused to apologize for the Zidane headbutt, saying that he “would rather die” than apologies to the Italian. “Of course I reproach myself,” Zidane told El País. “But, if I say ‘sorry’, I would also be admitting that what he himself did was normal. And for me, it was not normal. Things happen on the pitch. It’s happened to me many times. But I could not stand it there. It is not an excuse. But my mother was ill. She was in the hospital. This, people, did not know”.

Insults That Cut

Zidane went on to say, “But it was a bad time. More than once they insulted my mother and I never responded. And [then] it happened. To apologize for this? No. If it was Kaká, a regular guy, a good guy, of course, I would have apologized. But not to this one. If I ask him forgiveness, I lack respect for myself and for all those I hold dear with all my heart. I apologize to football, to the fans, to the team. After the game, I went into the dressing room and told them: ‘Forgive me. This doesn’t change anything. But sorry everyone. But to him, I cannot. Never, never. It would be to dishonor me. I’d rather die. There are evil people. And I don’t even want to hear those guys speak.”

The Zidane Headbutt: Leaves A Sour Taste

Materazzi, ever the provocateur, posted a photo of Zidane on his website. It shows the Frenchman walking past the trophy, along with a message in French saying “‘Merci beaucoup monsieur’ (‘Thank you very much, sir’). Later, the Italian was handed a two-match ban by FIFA, for bringing the game into disrepute. For his part, Zidane was banned for three games and fined £3,260. It’s a shame that Zidane will probably be more remembered for this one incident, than for all the great football he gave his fans. And even though today, he is still an icon of soccer, this one faux pas, will haunt him forever.

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