The Hindu : Sport : Materazzi admits to insulting Zidane

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 12, 2006

Sport

Sport

Materazzi admits to insulting Zidane

Denies calling the French star a `terrorist'

MILAN : Marco Materazzi admits he insulted Zinedine Zidane before the France captain head-butted him in the World Cup final. But denies calling him a "terrorist."

"I did insult him, it's true," Materazzi said in Tuesday's Gazzetta dello Sport. "But I categorically did not call him a terrorist. I'm not cultured and I don't even know what an Islamic terrorist is."

"My only terrorist is her," he said pointing to his 10-month-old daughter who was sleeping next to him on the plane that took the Italian team back to Italy.

Zidane and Materazzi exchanged words after Italy broke up a French attack in extra-time of Sunday's final in Berlin. 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 won the game in a penalty shootout.

"I held his shirt for a few seconds only, then he turned round and spoke to me, sneering," the Italian defender said. "He looked me up and down, arrogantly and said: `If you really want my shirt, I'll give it to you afterwards."'

Common swearing

The 32-year-old Inter Milan player did not elaborate exactly on what he said to Zidane.

"It was one of those insults you're told tens of times and that always fly around the pitch," he said.

Media reports, based on interpretations by lip-readers, had suggested that Materazzi called Zidane a terrorist or insulted his mother or sister. Materazzi denies these claims, too. "For me, the mother is sacred, you know that," Materazzi told the newspaper.

Zidane's agent had said on Monday that the French skipper's assault was provoked by a "very serious" comment made by the Italian defender. Zidane has not given his account of the incident yet.

Father to son's support

Meanwhile, Materazzi's father says instead of the French captain it was his son who was provoked and ended up being the real victim in the incident.

"I spoke to my son briefly after the game. Marco had told me he had been provoked. It's as though they have something against him each time," Giuseppe Materazzi told BBC Sport.

"In the past two years, Marco has only been on the receiving end and the injuries he has sustained are proof of this. I don't want to be controversial, but there are things that have to be said instead of just pointing the finger and putting a black mark against someone," Materazzi senior added in defence of his son, who is being held responsible for provoking Zidane for his violent reaction.

Teammates rally

Support for the maestro has been pouring in since the incident with his teammates rallying around him and defender William Gallas was the latest to publicly speak out in Zidane's favour.

"I didn't see it but sometimes football is not only with the ball. Sometimes when you have a player who is very clever and says something to you then maybe you are angry and want to kill that player," Gallas, who plays for Chelsea told BBC Sport.

Gallas also talked about the locker room atmosphere after the incident and said Zidane did not talk to anybody after the incident.

"Zidane didn't say anything. He was very disappointed for everybody — for the team and himself. I am very sad for him. It was his last World Cup and everybody wanted to win for him," he said.

Eyewitness

Meanwhile, the fourth official who was responsible for alerting the referee that Zidane had head-butted Materazzi said he saw the incident as it happened.

Spaniard Luis Medina Cantalejo said television replays played no part in his decision to inform referee Horacio Elizondo of the Frenchman's aggression as the two players trotted back after a corner.

"I saw it happen live, I didn't invent anything," Cantalejo told Spanish radio station Cadena Ser on Tuesday. "The ball was elsewhere and that was where the referee was looking, while the linesman was getting back into position.

"I always tell my fourth official to keep an eye on the players because things can happen as the players get back into position and that is all I did."

Cantelejo rejected suggestions from France coach Raymond Domenech that the sending off had been provoked by the television replays.

"I respect his opinion, but that is not what happened. This incident shows how important the fourth official is. My job is to help the referee and that is exactly what I did." — Agencies

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport