Yes, he was loosing control.. but I surely proud of him. He is the "MAN" !!!?

Question

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/sport/worldcup2006.html?in_article_id=395403&in_page_id=1771&ito=1490

You do agree, don't you??

Being human, His reaction absolutely acceptable.
I have seen the worst one, the Italian shot a guy twice rite between his eye balls, coz that guy stoled his whisky bottle (things that mosttly seen in italian movies)

Answer 1

RIS - The Zinedine Zidane mystery is not quite solved yet. In his first, highly awaited comments since the World Cup final, the French soccer star only partly explained what caused him to react in fury and head-butt an Italian opponent: repeated harsh insults about his mother and sister.

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But Zidane didn't go into specifics about what Marco Materazzi said. Materazzi swears he never insulted Zidane's mother. And FIFA is still investigating.

Relaxed and soft-spoken, Zidane repeatedly apologized to fans — especially to children — in several interviews late Wednesday.

"Above all, I'm human," he said.

The 34-year-old midfielder said he didn't regret the abrupt, violent outburst Sunday that marked the end of his 18-year professional career.

"I tell myself that if things happened this way, it's because somewhere up there it was decided that way," he told TF1 television. "And I don't regret anything that happened, I accept it."

Zidane sidestepped questions about exactly what Materazzi said.

"I would rather have taken a punch in the jaw than have heard that," he told the Canal Plus channel, 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 with Zidane — an excellent penalty-taker — in the locker room.

The act of aggression marred the end of the World Cup, with many warning it would tarnish Zidane's formidable legacy. Zidane retired after the tournament, and he said Wednesday his decision was definitive.

The France captain stressed that he felt no regret about his outburst "because that would mean (Materazzi) was right to say all that."

"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."

For days, sports fans around the world have been riveted by the question: What could Materazzi have said to set Zidane off in the last few moments of his career? 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.

"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, journalists selected Zidane for 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.

FIFA's disciplinary committee opened an inquiry Tuesday into Zidane's behavior. His red card was not unusual: Zidane was sent off 14 times in his career at the club and international level.

Despite his temper, Zidane is better known for his sportsmanship and dancer-like style with the ball. He is a national hero for the French and a symbol of a young, multicultural France. Born to Algerian immigrants, Zidane grew up playing on concrete in an impoverished neighborhood of Marseille.

President Jacques Chirac has had only kind words for Zidane since the match — reassuring him that France still "admires and loves him." Many in France have already pardoned Zidane. A poll published Tuesday in Le Parisien newspaper showed that 61 percent of the 802 people questioned forgave Zidane.

Former France coach Michel Hidalgo said Zidane was "touching, dignified and human" in the interviews.

"We have made him into a god, we have canonized him, but he's above all a man, and a man is fragile and breakable," he told LCI television. "He isn't Zorro, or the god of soccer

Answer 2

Hell NO. Classless Zidane who has been a villain all his career. A great footballer but an absolutely dirty player (Materazzi is dirty too dont get me wrong)
But lets look at what happened - really what happened, Zidane can cut the bull ****, I can read lips too.
They were talking trash the whole martch at each other.
It started when Materazzi was called for a PK. Which was a BS PK. And Zidane converted it. But poetic justice then Materazzi converted the tying goal. (and later on the final PK)
Materazzi pulled his shirt.
Zidane said "If you want my shirt I will give it to you when we win the cup": Making fun of Materazzi.
And he said " I rather take it off of your sister"
So WHAT! Tell me that you guys dont say stuff like that on the playground everyday. Hell yeah. We all talk trash. We always have and we always will.
Football - just like any other game is also a mental game and a mental war. And Zidane lost his war.
But he did something even worse during his interview.
He said: I apologize to the kids. bnut I dont regret my actions. I should have actually punched him in the face."
First of all that is not an apology. An apology does not have a "but" in it.
Basically what he said was "Hey kids. If anyone talks trash to you go and hit them. And you shouldnt tegret it, its ok"
He should be stripped of the golden ball he received. It is questionable how much he deserved it anyway. Because he was nowhere to be found in the qualifiers. Starting from the round of 16 he played good and had an amazing game against Brazil, and had good games (not great ones) against the rest of the competition the rest of the way. But for example BUFFON was spectacular the whole tournament. And if FIFA wants to close the chapter on this Refereee ruined controversial world cup with some dignity, Zidane should not walk away with the crown. After all he did not even show enough class to show up for the ceremony.

Answer 3

I like Zizou very much. BUT, No I don't agree he should have waited for the game to end or to react in a different (I think he should spit on him!!!). Now Materazzi "won" he make him leave the Mundial in a bad last impression, he left the team for 5' and he didn't had the chance to score a penalty!!!

Answer 4

No. Zidane didn't lose his control. I too still proud of him. What Zidane did is instinctive. And, what Materazzi did is pre-planned,
a part of Italian strategy invented by Lippi. Now, you decide who's guilty.

Answer 5

There is no winners here. But Zidane showed that he is a man of honor to not let anybody say anything bad about his mother and sister.

Answer 6

No, I think he gave up and now is trying to act like a tough guy. If it came to a real fight I think the outcome would have been different.

Answer 7

No one remembers who won the World Cup. They only remember the great Zidane. He is the MAN! (Well, he and Edith Piaf - "non je ne regrette Rien").

Answer 8

So am I.....

I have been a azzuri fan since 1994....& i waited eagerly for a WC win....but beleive me a little bit of my joy was taken away seeing Zidane leave like that.

Answer 9

no.

I think he gave up and now is trying to act like a tough guy. If it came to a real fight I think the outcome would have been different.

Answer 10

He is the MAN because he's now bigger than Pam Anderson. At least I say so; the others are WRONG!