Marco Materazzi admits he insulted Zinedine Zidane before the
France captain head-butted him in the World Cup final. Materazzi
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."
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.'"
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, have
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.
Materazzi is no stranger to controversy. He was suspended for
two months for punching Siena defender Bruno Cirillo after a Serie
A game in February 2004, and earned condemnation following a brutal
tackle on Sweden and Juventus striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic in October
2005.
Materazzi was also sent off three times while playing for
Everton in the 1998-99 season.
One Italian senator even suggested that Materazzi - also sent
off three times while playing for Everton in the 1998-99 season -
didn't merit selection for the Italian team because of his physical
style.
Five years ago with Juventus, Zidane head-butted an opponent in
a Champions League match against Hamburger SV after being tackled
from behind.
Meanwhile, Rome Mayor Walter Veltroni accused FIFA of double
standards, noting that soccer's governing body named Zidane as the
tournament's best player after his head-butt, while Italy forward
Francesco Totti was kicked out of the 2004 European Championship
for spitting in an opponent's face.
"I notice a difference in the way in which Totti was treated
after the spit and the way in which Zinedine Zidane has been lauded
as a champion of soccer, even though he is held responsible for
such a violent blow that it could even have had devastating
effects," Veltroni said.
FIFA announced Tuesday it will open a disciplinary investigation
into Zidane's conduct.
FIFA also said that the ballot box for the tournament's top
player - voted by journalists - was open until after the final had
ended, making it impossible to know how many ballots were cast
before the match and during it.
(AP via China Daily?July 12, 2006)