The Golden Head-Butt
10 July 2006, 11:33
Before the World Cup final, Italian midfielder Genarro Gattuso knew that he would have to defend Zinedine Zidane. Gattuso’s nickname is “Ringhio,” which translates roughly as “snarl.” He strikes fear in the hearts of many opponents. But Zizou is not your average opponent. Gattuso called on a higher power. “Zinedine non si ferma, bisogna solo pregare,” he said. That is, “you can’t stop Zidane, you just have to pray.”
Is this what Marco Materazzi was doing? Praying? We may never know.We do know that he and Zidane seemed to be having a routine conversation. Zizou walked away calmly. Then he turned, charged, and head-butted the Italian defender in the chest. He was sent off.
Zizou is a strangely spiritual man. It was a late night ‘visitation’ that brought him back to the French team. Henry calls him God. Perhaps, he had another visitation in the 110th minute of the World Cup final. Perhaps, it was a more mundane religious reaction. Rumors have circulated that Materazzi insulted Zizou’s Algerian Muslim heritage. But these are just guesses. (I just read that Zidane’s agent will “reveal all.” Stay tuned.)
This was not Zidane’s first head-butting incident. He was once banned for five games after a similar outburst. This was supposedly his last match, though, and it is a sad way for him to go. Zidane is the greatest player of the last decade and one of the best ever. (Watch this video to reminisce.) He moves with such exquisite body control. He performed wonderfully over the last two weeks. He won the golden ball as best player in the tournament. But we’ll never forget this head-butt. C’est la vie.
Comments
commenting closed for this article
Of course, from the moment that the replay of the “cabezazo” was aired during the game, wild speculation has spread from barrooms to websites to tabloid ink as to what Materazzi must have done to trigger Zizou’s reaction. Some have claimed he must have insulted his sister or mother, others presume it had to be a “racist” remark (Zizou’s parents came to France from Algeria), and others swear that Materazzi gave him a “tittie twister”. Brazilian TV even enlisted a lipreader to try to enligthen us.
Whatever the Italian defender might have said or done, this was certainly a very sad way to end an illustious international career. While Zizou has never been a saint (he has let his temper get away from him numerous times, including a suspension in the 98 Cup), everyone can agree that he has been a credit to the game.
I read that the French coach regrets not having taken him out minutes before, so that he could have exited to the unbridaled applause of everyone watching.
It’ a shame that he didn’t, but also a credit to Zidane himself. Domenech needed him in there! Even at 34, he was indispensable and surely his stewartship could not have hurt his team as they grinded through into the penalties.
In the end, I don’t think it was Materazzi. Zizou looked frustrated by the Italian defense’s tough play throughout the match. He thought the referee failed to protect him from physical challenge after physical challenge of Cannavaro & Co.
Then, I think the capper wasn’t Materazzi’s jawing, but Buffon’s safe on his great header that ended it for him. He seemed to give it everything he had left on that run, only to see it parried narrowly over the bar.
Instead of dwelling on his ignominious exit, I prefer to think of the man at his best. Zidane’s goalazo for Real Madrid in the 2002 Champions League final against Bayer Leverkusen which broke the 1-1 deadlock and gave “los blancos” their record 9th European title, was among the best I have ever seen.
Farewell, mon ami.
— Joe · 10 July 2006, 19:47 · #