From the Daily Mail:
Football was awash with competing theories, but with the help of an expert lip reader Sportsmail can reveal what triggered Zidane’s attack.
Speaking in Italian, Materazzi grabbed his opponent as the ball ran away from them and told him: “Hold on, wait, that one’s not for *****(dregs) like you.”
Zidane’s response was not visible, but as the players walked forward Materazzi said: “We all know you are the son of a terrorist whore.” Just before the butt, he was seen saying: “So just f*** off.”
Our lip-reader, who is employed in court cases as an expert witness, can understand foreign languages phonetically and the translatation was made with the aid of an Italian interpreter whose transcript supports Zidane’s claim that Materazzi had made a ‘very serious’ comment.
Zidane still had the support of his defeated team-mates, however, and Chelsea’s William Gallas said: “The Italians did everything they could to provoke Zidane. I can accept when the opposition wins nobly, but not this way. It’s cheating, but that’s the Italians. I want to smash Materazzi’s face.”
Last night the Italian offered a different version of events.
Materazzi: I didn’t call him a terrorist
Materazzi admitted that he tweaked the France captain’s nipple as they clashed in extra time. After which, it is alleged Zidane responded: “If you want my shirt so much, you can f****** have it after the game.”
The Italian said that he then replied: “I’d rather have the shirt off your woman,” a supposed reference to the Frenchman’s wife Veronique.
Materazzi’s agent Phil Smith said: “There was no way Marco meant to cause such a reaction.
“It was just a typical innocuous football insult commonplace in every game. Marco is adamant he didn’t call Zidane a terrorist.
“They know each other well from games between Juventus and Inter Milan and Marco just wouldn’t want to wind up Zidane to the extent of getting him sent off.”
Materazzi, 32, told Gazetta dello Sport: “I held his shirt for a few seconds only, then he turned to me and talked to me, jeering.
“He looked at me with a huge arrogance and said, ‘If you really want my shirt I’ll give it to you afterwards’. I replied with an insult, that’s true.”
Materazzi has not elaborated but he has denied, however, some of the more vile insults referring to his wife or sister or calling him a terrorist.
“It was one of those insults you’re told dozens of times and that you often let fall on a pitch,” Materazzi said.
“I did not call him a terrorist. I am not a cultured person and I don’t even know what as Islamist terrorist is.”
He added: “For me the mother is sacred, you know that.”
Right. Materazzi plays for AC Milan, not exactly a club in a city in the back of beyond. The club’s owner, Silvio Berlusconi as Italy’s PM was responsible for sending troops to Iraq to support the “war against terrorism’. I am sure while Materazzi was playing for AC, the name Abu Musaib Al-Zarqawi must have cropped up a thousand times, in the Italian press, and described as an Islamist terrorist ad nauseum. The Italians after the US and the Brits have suffered the most losses and injuries in Iraq. The war in Iraq was a huge deal and was responsible for Berlusconi losing the elections.
Materazzi’s statements set himself up as the victim. The country bumpkin who knows nothing and plays in a national team that has no other player of a different color or religion. What does he know? Yes, and he is Italian and a mamma’s boy, so why should he insult Zizou’s mother? You know that they are sacred.
Yes, the Italians played good soccer. But the first thing that the Italians should do is to go to their mothers and dedicate this World Cup to them. They dived, they flopped, they pandered, they cajoled, they tantrummed, they threatened, and they insulted players, all in mamma’s name.
If Materazzi is found guilty of racism, he should be barred from playing soccer in the Serie or any other league for a year. No fine or match suspensions will be enough. We can expect this sort of behavior from the knucklehead fans in La Liga, the Serie, the French League, or the Bundesliga but to expect it from a fellow player is unforgiveable.
16 comments on “Evidence supports Zidane: He was subject to racism”
People shit talk all the time on the pitch, be a man and don’t lower yourself to head-butting, that could have killed Marco.
Don’t try and make excuses for Zizou, he pulled a ridiculous stunt and should be punished
Yes, the Italians played good soccer. But the first thing that the Italians should do is to go to their mothers and dedicate this World Cup to them. They dived, they flopped, they pandered, they cajoled, they tantrummed, they threatened, and they insulted players, all in mamma’s name.
This is one of the most stupid and ignorant comments that I have read on the internet. Even though I did not support Italy they were not diving as much as Portugal or France.Give them credit when it is due….
Yes, the Italians played good soccer. But the first thing that the Italians should do is to go to their mothers and dedicate this World Cup to them. They dived, they flopped, they pandered, they cajoled, they tantrummed, they threatened, and they insulted players, all in mamma’s name.
This is one of the most stupid and ignorant comments that I have read on the internet. Even though I did not support Italy they were not diving as much as Portugal or France.Give them credit when it is due….They are forever to be remembered as the 2006 World Cup Champions
Materazzi plays for Inter Milan, not AC Milan. It even says so in the quote from his agent.
To the above poster, I find it laughable that you condemn Italy for diving, when it is France who were only able to score on a penalty kick called for (surprise, surprise), a dive.
I find it laughable that you condemn Italy for diving, when it is France who were only able to score on a penalty kick called for (surprise, surprise), a dive.
Vasilios
You’re correct- Materazzi plays for Inter. But that does not change his blatantly fake remark, “that he does not know what an Islamist terrorist is”. I have a feeling that there is more to this incident than just some playground insult. As for the Italians, I have written that I admire the way they played the game. This is the first Italian team that has had virtually no striker that got them goals, but their defence did. Not many teams can claim that distinction.
Shourin why don’t you write something about the French dives and fakes especially from Thierry Henry. Henry faked injury against Spain, faked a dive against Portugal, and he has earned highest number of fouls. And then Malouda’s dive…and about Zidane, how much he did against Portugal or Italy ? Please be neutral and then do your analysis. Zidane played well against Brazil, and that’s all. And that too against a Brazilian team who did not know if they were a team or not. I think, Patrick Viera, Thuram, Ribery, Malouda all these French players should also get the credit.
The golden ball should have gone to Cannavaro, not to Zidane, he did not deserve it after that violent head-butt.
Finally, whatever comment had been made by Materazzi, there is no way you can support the head-butt. If you sympathise that you are sympathising the act of 9/11.
What the hell are you on about Dagastino? That head butt wasn’t going to kill anyone. You’re more of a drama queen than Materazzi. What everyone should be saying is that Zidane had no right to do that no matter what that tall piece of shit said to him. He should have waited for the final whistle and then twated him in the face, not the chest. Italy were the most efficient if not the most boring team to watch after England. They did what they had to do over the aging Frendh team who were undoubtedly the better team for 75% of the game. It came to a crap sjhoot penalties and they won. Congrats to them and to the fans. But Materazzi is a cunt. A cunt at Everton, and now a cunt at Inter. FACT!
Zidane’s been playing football since like what? 10 years? 20 years? Whatever.. he’s been there long enough to witness all sorts of trash talking in the field.. He should know better before he pulled up a stunt like that. All the goals he scored are mostly penalty kicks due to diving… Whatever.. I am no Italy fan, I just think Zidane even deserve to get that Golden Ball. He simply didn’t play well! The only time is against Brazil!! Canavarro in the other hand played 7 matches full with excellent defending skills, clean tackles.. I think he deserved that Golden Ball. But I think that award was given by the media as a consolation prize for the French.
Angshuman
The only reason that the French went this far was because of Zidane. He was the kingpin amongst that aging French midfield. If what Materazzi said to Zidane is true, then it is worse than any of the usual insults that players reserve for each other. Actually, Zidane is a Berber, a minority community in Algeria, and they have fought against discrimination by the majority Arabs who have taken over language and politics.
FIFA once again screwed up with the voting for the Golden Ball. Remember the Ollie Kahn fiasco, when he was voted the Golden Ball players before halftime and then promptly gave up both the Brazilian goals. FIFA should wait for the whole game to get over before they tabulate the results.
Materazzi denies terrorist insult
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/world_cup_2006/5168126.stm
To Angshuman.
First of all, its Dagostino, not Dagastino.
Second of all, a blunt force to the chest can actually stop a heart, you fucking moron. I don’t think Zidane was trying to tickle Marco with his balding stuble but actually hurt the guy.
Third of all, how could you possible say that the Italian team was boring and too conservative to watch, when they actually scored MORE goals than France did. Oh, and of the last three goals that France scored (one in the quarters, one in the semi’s and one against Italy), two of them were from BLATANT dives. Oh, and that goal against Brazil? It was a nice goal by Henry, but Vieiri was actually offsides. The goal was allowed since Henry is offsides, but the same call wasn’t made to the Italians when they scored that header against Barthez in the final.
I agree with your statement though, PK’s are not a way to win it. Thats why it should have been over in regulation if it wasn’t for France’s filthy PK as a result of the dive.. Oh, and the same thing goes for the game against Portugal.
I don’t care if they dominated the 2nd half, they still failed to find the creative touch to put one in the back of the net, and that’s the whole fucking point.
I don’t think the last poster knows what they’re talking about–the amount of blunt force that needs to be applied to the chest is more than you could muster. Specifically, the zyphoid process would have to be snapped, and then it could potentially puncture a lung–it wouldn’t stop the heart. You should do more research or consult a doctor before you make blatant statements.
1) The amount of force required to stop a heart or kill someone is not as much as one my think. Hit the person in the right spot with minimal force and you could easily kill him/her. This is even mroe true if 1 has a pre-existing medical condition.
2)There is no proof that Materazzi said anything racist. Lip readers are conflicted as to what was actially said, and Aidane now admits it was not racist but about his mother and sister.
3)Italy didn’t dive or play act any more than any other team. To single them out as the worse is simply based on bias.
4) Yes this game should have been over in regular time as Ioni’s goal was good; he was onside, the passive player was offside. Argentina and France scored similar goals, and according to the rules these are good goals.
5) Italy is a boring team? That is a matter of opinion.
Dash
What are you smoking, dude? Then there would have been more deaths in rugby, boxing, and the NFL. It is easier to get a busted knee. No one, repeat no one has died of headbutting. Materazzi went down like a poleaxed steer because he is a wanker. He was always a dirty player.