Zinedine Zidane

[Bizarra]

My opinion - He shouldn't have been Red carded. Yellow yes, at most.

He didn't give Materazzi a proper "Glasgow handshake" only a thump on the chest.

Materazzi wasn't injured. He was up & about nearly immediately.

" started it by saying , unprovoked ,something really offensive. Penalty shootout was nearly inevitable & Materazzi succeded in removing one of the team who was almost certain to get his kick home.

It was 2-3 minutes after the incident, before the Ref. was alerted.

Lastly the incident in no way interfered with play.

The Italian had 2 options, Keep his mouth shut or say whatever he said. He picked the wrong option.

Ok, Zidane shouldnt have retaliated but at that stage of the match when everyone was as tightly strung as piano wire, it was very easy to snap.

Materazzi knew what he was doing & succeeded :ffs: :ffs: :ffs: :censor:

[martin_longbow]

I am sorry mate, I think Zidane is one of the worlds best. But once you act like that then there is no defence. It is not unforgivable as was said, it is understandable as you point out but it is against the rules quite clearly and a player of his magnatude should really be above a reaction like that.

He knew what the Italian tw*t was up to, and has been subject to that kind of baiting most of his carrear, to give into it on the last international game he is ever likely to play is beneath him. It should be put into perspective, one moment of madness that's all but it was a red card all day long :(

[reece]

That's the best foul I've ever seen

Play at being Zidane here!

[Kev Mc]

Wtf have you been smoking? There is absolutely no way he should have stayed on the pitch, I've seen players sent off for things nowhere near as bad, it was nothing short of assult. Duncan Ferguson did something similar & ended up spending a few months in jail for it. Materazzi wasn't seriusly injured but it doesn't make it ok, you can get sent off for absolutely pathetic reasons these days so it was definately a sending off, absolutely no question.

At the end of the day, no matter what was said, Zinedine Zidane is a professional football player who's played in 3 countries at the very highest level & won everything there is to win, what he did was inexcusable, especially when you think about that amount of experience. For him to let words (no matter how sickening they could have been) make you turn around & headbutt some1 is completely unprofessional. He was playing in his last ever game in the biggest game in football, the game that every kid who's ever kicked a football dreams of playing in, he was captaining his team, they were level & every1 was looking to him for inspiration & he failed everybody.

[Fidgits]

That's the best foul I've ever seen

Play at being Zidane here!

I disagree...

Boris Johnson's was better

But Zindane deserved the card - and the discrace he didnt recieve, he's supposed to be an ambassador, not a thug...

[reece]

Didn’t say he didn’t deserve to be sent off...

I just said it’s the best foul I’ve ever seen!

[Ryan1985]

The Italian had 2 options, Keep his mouth shut or say whatever he said. He picked the wrong option.

I think he picked the right option, he got a good penalty taker sent off before it reached penalties. If you can't take people taunting you on the football field then you shouldn't be on it!

[Jones~32]

I think he picked the right option, he got a good penalty taker sent off before it reached penalties. If you can't take people taunting you on the football field then you shouldn't be on it!

^^What he said

[daktari]

Obviously, the referee had no other option. Violence is violence. No matter how it`s dressed up or excused. What sort of message would it send out to countless millions of fans and spectators if he had been allowed to get a way with it??

The other side of the coin is, If had i been ZZ i would`ve butted him about 18 inches higher. Much to my shame. Probably why i don`t play sports. ;)

[jaxx]

legend, should be more fighting on pitch

[seveer unaek]

legend, should be more fighting on pitch

Yeah... just like Ice Hockey!

He definatley should have been sent off, there's no excuse, but it was such a shame, he's one of the best players the world has ever seen, and definatley the best in this tournament (granted, it was a poor tournament football wise)

Oh well, back to teaching kids football... and yes, they copy evry SINGLE thing they learn from these 'role models' ... arguing, fouling, swearing, whinging, having a paddy... the LOT. My way of dealing with it... off. You wanna play football then play, you wanna foul, whinge and play un-fair then off. Why isn't real football the same?? Works in rugby and they're proper men, not nancy boys.

[Bizarra]

The Italian had 2 options, Keep his mouth shut or say whatever he said. He picked the wrong option.

I think he picked the right option, he got a good penalty taker sent off before it reached penalties. If you can't take people taunting you on the football field then you shouldn't be on it!

They got a lipreader to see what Materazzi said & the result at the moment is that he told Z.Z. to go back to Algeria with his terrorist whxxe of a Mother. Zidane's mother was admitted to Hospital within the last week, I think. Materazzi got off lightly. No man would let an insult like that pass. Couldnt. :ffs:

[Bizarra]

Wtf have you been smoking? There is absolutely no way he should have stayed on the pitch, I've seen players sent off for things nowhere near as bad, it was nothing short of assult. Duncan Ferguson did something similar & ended up spending a few months in jail for it. Materazzi wasn't seriusly injured but it doesn't make it ok, you can get sent off for absolutely pathetic reasons these days so it was definately a sending off, absolutely no question.

At the end of the day, no matter what was said, Zinedine Zidane is a professional football player who's played in 3 countries at the very highest level & won everything there is to win, what he did was inexcusable, especially when you think about that amount of experience. For him to let words (no matter how sickening they could have been) make you turn around & headbutt some1 is completely unprofessional. He was playing in his last ever game in the biggest game in football, the game that every kid who's ever kicked a football dreams of playing in, he was captaining his team, they were level & every1 was looking to him for inspiration & he failed everybody.

Wtf have you been smoking? Travellers Joy ! Wouldnt put anything else in me pipe

[Boro Sera]

Of course he should have been sent off. Just because he's ZZ people seem to think that he should be allowed to get away with a caution???

He was mainly a spectator in the tournament, only really showing what he had in the Brazil Game. France were fairly average throughout and even with him on the pitch wouldn't have won the penalty shootout.

Players of his calibre get wound up all the time by opponents. As it was his final match as a professional player I think he took the opportunity to do what he had wanted to for the bulk of his career - dish out some revenge.

This situation is somewhat similar to the Eric Cantona karate attack on a guy in the crowd.Most people seem to be missing the real issue.

Was it funny??

- hell yeah.

[martin_longbow]

Interesting concept if they introduced the sin bin into football as they have in ice hockey. I think this would stop a lot of the winging and diving and nonsense. I would love to see it, the ref sending you to the sin bin for 5 or 10 mins because you have been a horses rear end.

ZZ would have still been sent off.

No there was no other possible decision

Yes I understand

No I dont condone

yeh it was funny as hell, most exciting thing to happen in the game apart from some of the diving

[Johndcfc]

[martin_longbow]

Now that's clever

I do wonder about the actual kick from the Itialian player though. If I was being head butted like that would my leg kick up so high, I don't think so but dont think I want to discover the true answer

[Kev Mc]

Of course he should have been sent off. Just because he's ZZ people seem to think that he should be allowed to get away with a caution???

He was mainly a spectator in the tournament, only really showing what he had in the Brazil Game. France were fairly average throughout and even with him on the pitch wouldn't have won the penalty shootout.

Players of his calibre get wound up all the time by opponents. As it was his final match as a professional player I think he took the opportunity to do what he had wanted to for the bulk of his career - dish out some revenge.

This situation is somewhat similar to the Eric Cantona karate attack on a guy in the crowd.Most people seem to be missing the real issue.

Was it funny??

- hell yeah.

I completely agree with every bit of that

[Special Red]

That's the best foul I've ever seen

Play at being Zidane here!

I disagree...

Boris Johnson's was better

But Zindane deserved the card - and the discrace he didnt recieve, he's supposed to be an ambassador, not a thug...

Rubbish, Cantona's was the best, flying kick followed by a couple of blows to the head (the first of which made proper contact)!!! 10/10 for technique!

And as For Zidane, Im glad he did that as the Italians were cheats and did not deserve to win foook all, Greasy wops!

[Demonic Angel]

Isnt he going to tell all tonight on why he did it or something... ??

Fair enough he shouldnt have headbutted him, you play a sport, you play sportingly... but if whatshisface had made a racist comment to Zidane, well that guy should be punished for it IMO....

Racism is not something you should have to put up with full stop.

[Special Red]

Isnt he going to tell all tonight on why he did it or something... ??

Fair enough he shouldnt have headbutted him, you play a sport, you play sportingly... but if whatshisface had made a racist comment to Zidane, well that guy should be punished for it IMO....

Racism is not something you should have to put up with full stop.

I completely agree!

[Boro Sera]

Yeah, no place in football ( or life ) for racism..........BUT

the reason behind the event CANNOT be used to in any way justify the actions or somehow lessen what happened.

Everton striker Duncan Ferguson was actually JAILED for a headbutt on another player during a match. Anyone trying to portray Zidane as some sort of 'hard done to' here is misguided at best. He got off lightly.

[Demonic Angel]

Yeah, no place in football ( or life ) for racism..........BUT

the reason behind the event CANNOT be used to in any way justify the actions or somehow lessen what happened.

Everton striker Duncan Ferguson was actually JAILED for a headbutt on another player during a match. Anyone trying to portray Zidane as some sort of 'hard done to' here is misguided at best. He got off lightly.

Not saying what he did wasn't wrong mate but the other guy deserves to be punished also if it was proven he made a racist comment to Zidane.... that sort of thing just isnt called for

[Boro Sera]

Agreed Em,

But without proof as to what has been said , nothing can be done. Every newspaper has had lip reading 'experts' giving their versions and they have all come out with something completely different. Only 2 people truly know what was said - that's assuming that Zidane speaks good Italian though, because it won't have been in French.