The greatest player of his generation, Zinedine Zidane’s career ended in an eruption of violence. One year on, he’s still feeling the aftershocks...
Page 1 of 3 | Single page
Twelve months after head-butting Marco Materazzi and being sent off in a World Cup Final that France went on to lose, Zinedine Zidane has never been more popular.
In a twist that must have left his pal David Beckham incredulous – think France 98, Argentina, Diego Simeone, a petulant flick of a boot, red card and hate campaign – Zidane’s violent reaction to Materazzi’s insults received the backing and sympathy of a huge majority of the French public, from then President Jacques Chirac down. The exclusive television interview in which Zidane first talked of the incident drew a record audience for Canal Plus TV and Coup de Boule (“Head-butt”), a novelty song celebrating France’s No. 10, had the whole nation singing along as it raced to the top of the charts.
Advertisers, too, have stuck with Zidane. Some even used the head-butt to inspire their campaigns, reminding us of how Eric Cantona managed to turn his kung-fu attack on a fan to his advantage. Even when scandal rags spread rumours of an extra-marital affair with a French pop singer, the mud didn’t stick. It’s as if Zidane’s untouchable.
In the past 12 months, Zidane has made an emotional return to Algeria, the birthplace of his parents, multiplied his charity work – playing football with kids in Thailand, meeting a Nobel Peace Prize winner in Bangladesh, staging
a UNICEF game in Marseille – and begun his life as an occasional, superstar TV consultant. He also took on his first role in a major French movie, due out in January, while pondering whether he might just have retired too soon. For as opinion polls regularly show, Zidane remains France’s favourite son.
This is the story of his year…
It started with a butt…
The images will haunt him forever. The memories will never fade. Even if he could somehow blank it all out, there will always be someone, somewhere, who will remind him of the moment he head-butted an opponent in the World Cup Final. Although he helped France to a 1998 World Cup triumph and the European Championship in 2000, won leagues and cups with Juventus and Real Madrid and scored one of the most fantastic goals ever to win a Champions League final, Zinedine Zidane will be remembered more than anything for the last thing he did in his remarkable playing career. He can’t get away from it. The questions keep coming. Whatever he does, wherever he goes, people always want to talk to him about that moment.
It’s July 9, 2006. The World Cup Final. France and Italy are playing extra-time. There are about 10 minutes remaining. The clock in Berlin’s Olympiastadion reads 22.16 when the referee raises a whistle to his lips and blows. For a few seconds, there is confusion – in the stadium, on the field, and in millions of homes around the planet – for not everyone has seen what has happened. But in the minutes, hours and days that follow, the whole world will become familiar with the most dramatic incident ever to mark world sport’s biggest day.
Ninety seconds after that fateful toot on his whistle, Argentine referee Horacio Elizondo brandishes a red card in front of Zinedine Zidane’s face. The clock shows 22.19 when the French captain leaves the pitch, walking past the World Cup trophy without a sideways glance. The career of one of football’s most magnificent players has ended in controversy and disgrace.
The tournament has been robbed of the fairytale ending that seemed to have been specially scripted: Zidane, having come out of international retirement to help France qualify for the finals, had been superb against Spain, at his brilliant best in defeating Brazil, and at the age of 34 was set to inspire his country to World Cup glory for a second time. In his last ever match. It was shaping as a dream end.
In the Final, Zidane put his side ahead with an early penalty, an impudent chipped effort so audacious it still draws a gasp when you see it today. Marco Materazzi levelled for the Italians, the game went to extra-time and Zidane came closest to settling the contest with a flying header that brought a wonderful save from Gianluigi Buffon. So close to a happy ending for the Frenchman. But as we all now know, it was not to be.
In a twist that must have left his pal David Beckham incredulous – think France 98, Argentina, Diego Simeone, a petulant flick of a boot, red card and hate campaign – Zidane’s violent reaction to Materazzi’s insults received the backing and sympathy of a huge majority of the French public, from then President Jacques Chirac down. The exclusive television interview in which Zidane first talked of the incident drew a record audience for Canal Plus TV and Coup de Boule (“Head-butt”), a novelty song celebrating France’s No. 10, had the whole nation singing along as it raced to the top of the charts.
Advertisers, too, have stuck with Zidane. Some even used the head-butt to inspire their campaigns, reminding us of how Eric Cantona managed to turn his kung-fu attack on a fan to his advantage. Even when scandal rags spread rumours of an extra-marital affair with a French pop singer, the mud didn’t stick. It’s as if Zidane’s untouchable.
In the past 12 months, Zidane has made an emotional return to Algeria, the birthplace of his parents, multiplied his charity work – playing football with kids in Thailand, meeting a Nobel Peace Prize winner in Bangladesh, staging
a UNICEF game in Marseille – and begun his life as an occasional, superstar TV consultant. He also took on his first role in a major French movie, due out in January, while pondering whether he might just have retired too soon. For as opinion polls regularly show, Zidane remains France’s favourite son.
This is the story of his year…
It started with a butt…
The images will haunt him forever. The memories will never fade. Even if he could somehow blank it all out, there will always be someone, somewhere, who will remind him of the moment he head-butted an opponent in the World Cup Final. Although he helped France to a 1998 World Cup triumph and the European Championship in 2000, won leagues and cups with Juventus and Real Madrid and scored one of the most fantastic goals ever to win a Champions League final, Zinedine Zidane will be remembered more than anything for the last thing he did in his remarkable playing career. He can’t get away from it. The questions keep coming. Whatever he does, wherever he goes, people always want to talk to him about that moment.
It’s July 9, 2006. The World Cup Final. France and Italy are playing extra-time. There are about 10 minutes remaining. The clock in Berlin’s Olympiastadion reads 22.16 when the referee raises a whistle to his lips and blows. For a few seconds, there is confusion – in the stadium, on the field, and in millions of homes around the planet – for not everyone has seen what has happened. But in the minutes, hours and days that follow, the whole world will become familiar with the most dramatic incident ever to mark world sport’s biggest day.
Ninety seconds after that fateful toot on his whistle, Argentine referee Horacio Elizondo brandishes a red card in front of Zinedine Zidane’s face. The clock shows 22.19 when the French captain leaves the pitch, walking past the World Cup trophy without a sideways glance. The career of one of football’s most magnificent players has ended in controversy and disgrace.
The tournament has been robbed of the fairytale ending that seemed to have been specially scripted: Zidane, having come out of international retirement to help France qualify for the finals, had been superb against Spain, at his brilliant best in defeating Brazil, and at the age of 34 was set to inspire his country to World Cup glory for a second time. In his last ever match. It was shaping as a dream end.
In the Final, Zidane put his side ahead with an early penalty, an impudent chipped effort so audacious it still draws a gasp when you see it today. Marco Materazzi levelled for the Italians, the game went to extra-time and Zidane came closest to settling the contest with a flying header that brought a wonderful save from Gianluigi Buffon. So close to a happy ending for the Frenchman. But as we all now know, it was not to be.
Related Articles
Spain versus Italy to go ahead
Germany preparing for World Cup success
