What do you'll think of fifa's decision concerning Zidane and Materazzi?

Question

The bbc says that Zinedine Zidane has been banned for three games and fined £3,260 for head-butting Italy's Marco Materazzi during the World Cup final while Materazzi has been suspended for two games and fined £2,170 for provoking Zidane. However Zidane's ban is academic since he has retired so he has to work with fifa for three days and do community service with kids. Check out the site http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/world_cup_2006/5198796.stm

Sonie, I am NOT a supporter of the Italian team!!!!!!!!!I'm actually from Trinidad and Tobago!!!!!!! Well I knew my team wasn't going to reach far so I was supporting Argentina and France. Anyway, I really respect Zidane for his action and for defending his family but I think what he did was harsh and he got off easier than Materazzi whom I don't like! But I believe in being fair!

Answer 1

The decision is pushing more players to insult and headbutt.
Way too soft in both cases.

Answer 2

Ditto in response to questions presented by Juventina. It's Fair - like it or not it was placed in the rules and FIFA did have to act on it. Even Cannavaro stated that what Materazzi said to Zidane was very, very, ugly. It will probably be a very long time before any of us will know the truth of the matter but in the meantime it puts the case to rest. Zidane is out - retired - like him or not, he is serving his penance in the only way he can given that he will not be returning to the pitch. Materazzi can now say that what he said was wrong and that he accepts FIFA's ruling. He can actually redeem himself in the end by accepting the consequences of the decision whether he agrees with it or not. In truth, FIFA could have been far more outreaching in how they choose to resolve this issue but it seems they have effectively dealt with the issue without being unduly punitive to either offender. I'm sorry that you don't feel that way. I truly respect the passion with which you support the Italian team but in the long run I think you will agree that this is a decision that everybody concerned can live with. As has been said in the past, Materazzi does not make up the entire Italian team. There are many other good players and no reason to think that they can't go out there and accomplish what needs to be accomplished in the qualifiers without him. In fact, if they do, how humbling that would have to be for him to see that they can win without all the nastiness he brings into the game.

Answer 3

Outrageous. Materazzi was spoken first by Zidane with an ironic remark. Materazzi as it happens all the time in games said something which can be summarised in a f... off. Zidane committed a very violent act. Zidane punishment should have been exemplary. Materazzi 's punishment implies that every sunday every player of every team can be disqualified as every player of every team says f... off every game in every championship in the whole world. Signal is: be violent, it pays, be a hooligan, it pays, you can always say like a baby that you have been provoked. Zidane reiterated this violent behaviour many times in his career (often with the head) so he should have been punished bad. If FIFA wanted to punish Materazzi as a symbol fine but in that case it could have given MM a one day ban. But in that case at least 10 day ban to Zidane and strip him of best player. In fact the proportion of the 2 "crimes" is at least 100 to 1. A 3/2 proportion with the 3 symbolic while the 2 real (MM will skip, Zidane no) is outrageous.

Answer 4

Hello Amze,
Sonie has given a very good reply to your Question. I think FIFA gave a fair and measured judgement in light of the extreme controversy surrounding this case. The full details of the meetings will never be known as the players have the right to expect the confidentiality of the hearing to be upheld. I think FIFA have deemed both acts to be equally unacceptable and the increase in the monetary penalty to Zidane offsets the fact that he will be be doing community service in lieu of missing games.

Fifa could have been far more harsh than they have as the incident has brought the game into disrepute and embarrassed FIFA. It should be over now Amze but quite clearly isn't. The Italian media is reporting scandalous, the French reporting fair that both were dealt with. No racist remarks but then in fairness,Zidane himself dispelled those rumours in his interview.FIFA are not going to give Matterazzi a suspension for simple trash talk or for saying something like go home old man, so what was said is obviously far more serious than trash talking so that excuse seems to be irrelevant. Quite frankly the monetary fines should have been far more than they were. To players on their incomes, this amount is nothing more than a mere slap on the wrist.

Answer 5

Well, since Materazzi didn't say anything racist, maybe they were a little too harsh on him.

However, Zidane was banned for one more day and fined a larger amount of money, which means that Fifa found him to be a little more at fault than Materazzi. Based on this consideration, I think Fifa should have revoked his Golden Ball.

Answer 6

I'd have to agree with Paolo Maldini!

However Paolo Maldini, captain of AC Milan and former captain of Italy's national team said FIFA's ruling was scandalous.

"It's scandalous to suspend a player for having said something. It's the first time it's been done and it's only because Materazzi is Italian and because they wanted to justify the action of a great champion (Zidane) but who was in the wrong."

Maurizio Lupi, a deputy of Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia party also condemned the ruling.

"It's a disgraceful sentence that shows yet again how Italy's football federation carries no weight at FIFA."

Answer 7

The suspension for Zidane is just stupid. As far as Materazzi goes, does all that really merit a fine and 2 game suspension? Seriously? What player hasn't done what he did?

Answer 8

The Zidane suspension is stupid, what's he suspended from? suspended from retirement? FIFA's a joke. Can they prove what Materazzi said? if not then anything that was said to any player like hello,crazy weather we're having huh? should result in a fine & suspension.

Answer 9

they're obviously being mean n unfair! materazzi shud b fined 2, coz he was d 1 who provoked zidane

Answer 10

it is fair because both had to suffer for what they had done