Butting In With New Evidence
- August 19th, 2007
- Posted by EUEditor
The Italian Football player head-butted by Yazid Zidane during last year’s World Cup has reportedly now told what he said to provoke the French captain’s irritation.
Drawn-out investigations including the evidence of lip readers have shown that Zidane objected to having his shirt tugged at by Marco Materazzi, and said he could have it after the game if he wanted.
Materazzi in reply, it has been known, made some reference to Zidane’s sister, though both players witheld details; one admitting he’d delivered an insult, the other saying it was “very personal” and to do with a mother or sister.
Le Monde and several other newspapers are now quoting Materazzi in the Italian weekly magazine TV Sorrisi e Canzoni, due out 20.8.07, as saying what he said:
“I would prefer to have your whore of a sister”.
(Je prefere ta putain de soeur).
He is quoted also as saying he’d apologised and had become more reflective and mature.
(J’ai demande pardon et je suis plus mur).
The 2006 World Cup in Germany, won by Italy, provided close-fought, crowd-pleasing contests, spoilt in parts by incidents like excessive diving, referees not knowing how many yellow cards they’d given to individual players, and the grand final head-butting play between Zidane and Materazzi.
Zidane, known as Zizou, was sent off, missing the penalty shoot-out that gave the game, and Cup, to the Italians; but he won the Golden Ball for Best Player of the 2006 World Cup.
The headbutt can be seen again on demand in many places; try:
[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/yUjFRKWk6gQ" width="370" height="305" wmode="transparent" /]
www.theregister.co.uk/2006/07/13/zidane_headbutt_outrage/
Picture: CNN