Fifa World Cup 2006 Germany

[JR Boucicaut 3789]

Zidane shouldn't retire. Cantona did worse 10 years ago and regained his legendary status after he came back from his ban. It'd be the only way for him to live down what happened.

[mik3 1]

I'd be willing to put money on what set Zidane off was probably a racial slur.

The italian team is known for being pretty racist while out on the pitch, so it wouldn't shock me.

It was good to see him lay the scumbag out if that's what happened.

[delpiero81 0]

2006 world champions weeeee!

What a mess was here... i have still to go to bed.

First half was ok for both teams, referee sucked, the penalty wasnt a penalty but after that Materazzi made another penalty that referee didnt called, he call fouls were people were diving and he didnt called real fouls but i think reffing a game where people dives here and there isnt easy... (for the official rules a player that dives receive a yellow card...).

Secon half was poor soccer by Italy, France was dominating, and Italy made a robbery. I never liked penaltys, but this time i think i will change idea! :lol:

The Zizou's headbutt was a shame, he is a correct and classy player, ending his carrier like this it's a shame...

[Fredrik 0]

he is a correct and classy player, ending his carrier like this it's a shame...

Couldn't agree more. It's really sad actually...

This is how I would like to see him...

[jrhky36 1]

all i have to say is thank goodness its over!!!!!!!!

[TBLfan 25]

very class-less from a player that has done his share of poor sportsman ship. He's the john rocker/bill romanowski/claude lemieux of soccer... I'm glad the asshole is gone.

[CardinalHcky19 0]

they made a game out of it though

[cobrAA 0]

very class-less from a player that has done his share of poor sportsman ship. He's the john rocker/bill romanowski/claude lemieux of soccer... I'm glad the asshole is gone.

What do you have to say against Claude Lemieux?

I think Zidane is an awsome player, now that he is retire, ronaldinho can say that he is the best on earth...oh well

Italy doesn't merite the cup at all

[TBLfan 25]

Claude was a dirty player and loved to take cheap shots. And while both Claude and Zidane are good players in their respective sports that doesn't mean that they aren't classless assholes.

[RadioGaGa 162]

According to Sportsnet....The Italian (sorry...can't recall his name) called ZZ a "dirty terrorist" then said his sister was a whore.

[Chadd 916]

According to Sportsnet....The Italian (sorry...can't recall his name) called ZZ a "dirty terrorist" then said his sister was a whore.

Class all the way. From what I was reading it was actually the guys watching on TV who alerted the ref to the incident. According to the rules (as far as I've been able to determine) you can't card a guy for what you see on replay.

The question I have is did Zidane get the Golden Ball despite attacking this douchebag or because he did it?

[McCabe24 0]

Zidane is my favourite player of all-time so I don't want to question whether or not the headbutt was justified but it is obvious something set him off. How that gets called when nothing out of the play has all tournament should also be questioned.

Regardless, I don't agree with the "players will do anything to win the game" argument and believe the Italian who provoked ZZ is pathetic. Finally, had the player substited for Ribery not hit the bar we still could be watching penalities now. That or France would be the rightful champions.

[EBondo 232]

Wow, that video is horrible...

[cobrAA 0]

To all of you who say zidane is classless. I think what the mazzarari did to Zidane is even more classless. This thing show how much respect italian have to other team.How can you insult the best player of his time, at his last game of his lives??

Think about the game when greztky retire and a guy on the other team would go cheap shot him all the night and tell him shit.intolerable

[Fonya 0]

No matter what happend you have to give Zidane a red card. BTW, I think it was buffon that went to the linesman and told him to tell the ref.

[flashgordon 0]

To all of you who say zidane is classless. I think what the mazzarari did to Zidane is even more classless. This thing show how much respect italian have to other team.How can you insult the best player of his time, at his last game of his lives??

Think about the game when greztky retire and a guy on the other team would go cheap shot him all the night and tell him shit.intolerable

Man - no matter what Materzzi said (which I'm sure was insulting to say the least if it caused a player of Zidane's status to snap like that), it does not merit Zidane's reaction. I equate the headbutt to a sucker punch a la Bertuzzi - the Italian player had no idea it was coming (especially since this type thing is a lot less common in soccer than say hockey), and where he hit him he could have done some real damage. If you're pissed at an opponent, be a man and say "let's go", let the other person know you want to fight and let the best man win. I am not partial to Italy or France in any way, but Zidane's move was just a low blow.

[Cavs019 708]

After watching that video Zidane is now my favorite soccer player of all time.

[JGraz15 53]

After watching that video Zidane is now my favorite soccer player of all time.

The headbutt or the high lights?

[Cavs019 708]

The vid of Materzzi.....he has a known history of cleating people in the balls.

[flip12 710]

"The player that hit the bar" was David Trezeguet, a solid striker. I don't know much about soccer players and what kind of year Trez is having or years he has had recently, but I would have thought to see him in more throughout the tournament. That entirely based off of how good he is in (EA Sports') FIFA 2004. Yeah it sucks that he missed, but that happens. It nearly happened to Zidane on his PK goal in the first half. I was rooting for France and I hate to see championships decided in shootouts or penalty kicks, but I enjoyed almost every game of the tournament I got to watch.

As for the "header" in the second half of overtime, I think you gotta give him a yellow card. A red card is unwarranted, especially when the linesman and not the ref "saw" it. Plus, I think Mazzoratti, or whatever his name is, went down a little easy. Rolling around like he was hurt, again like we've talked about soccer players habitually doing, which I'm fine with, helped the cause. But everyone knew he wasn't really hurt and even though that looked like a damn powerful headbut (better than any NBA fight I've ever seen), I don't think that would knock someone down quite the way that Mzz fell. Either way, I loved how Zizou looked calm as poker when the camera was showing him moments after it happened and it looked as though he might just get away with it.

And as for the red card, why wasn't there more stoppage time. It took five minutes to sort that business out and there was only 56-seconds added or something close to that. Had they played 5, France could have ended, even down a man they looked better than Italy.

I equate the headbutt to a sucker punch a la Bertuzzi

You can't be serious. It's not even close. Zizou's not a big guy. Bertuzzi's a linebacker. Punching a guy from behind in the back of the head. Sure Mazzo probably had no clue ZZ-top was going to try to crack his sternum with his cranium, but he saw him coming. That's a lot different than seeing nothing and then having your neck broken by a mammoth cheap-shotting you from behind.

[flashgordon 0]

I equate the headbutt to a sucker punch a la Bertuzzi

You can't be serious. It's not even close. Zizou's not a big guy. Bertuzzi's a linebacker. Punching a guy from behind in the back of the head. Sure Mazzo probably had no clue ZZ-top was going to try to crack his sternum with his cranium, but he saw him coming. That's a lot different than seeing nothing and then having your neck broken by a mammoth cheap-shotting you from behind.

Obviously just my opinion, but the headbutt took everyone (including Materazi) by total surprise, because that kind of action is pretty uncommon in soccer. Sure maybe Materazzi embellished the fall, maybe he wasn't really hurt. But that doesn't justify going after a guy when we was not expecting it. Agreed, Bertuzzi's was far more severe in that it was totally from behind and Moore could not have seen what was coming. And obviosuly the consequences to Moore were Far more severe as well. My only point is that it was the same spirit of attack - by surprise. In hockey, if two guys want to go, they drop the gloves and agree to fight. Guys don't respect other players when they take cheap shots, which is how I view what Zidane did.

[BK 0]

I think it was over dramatized, like every touch in soccer. I love the game, but I hate the feeling of watching a soap opera when I watch it..

[Chadd 916]

As if a headbutt to the chest is going to do any damage. Not being a soccer guru I don't know what the options for the ref were, but a red card doesn't seem unreasonable for something so unsportsmanlike.

[flashgordon 0]

A little lower could have been dangerous though. Whatever the case, the word "unsportsmanlike" pretty much sums it up.

[devilsrule711 0]

As if a headbutt to the chest is going to do any damage. Not being a soccer guru I don't know what the options for the ref were, but a red card doesn't seem unreasonable for something so unsportsmanlike.

The ref could have given him a red card for the unsportsmanlike act or just have a drop ball which they did after ZZ was given the card

but the contreversy was if the ref looked up at the replay to see what happened and a card cannot be presented if the ref calls a penalty on what he saw via replay he must make a decision on what the ref saw

the ref did not see the linesman did so the ref made the decision on the word of the linesman who saw it happen