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http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/world_cup_2006/5169342.stm
Zidane makes apology for headbutt
Zinedine Zidane has apologised for the headbutt on Italy’s Marco
Materazzi which earned him a red card in Sunday’s World Cup final
penalty shoot-out loss.
The France legend did not reveal what Materazzi said, but claimed it
was “very personal” and concerned his mother and his sister.
“I want to ask for forgiveness from all the children who watched,”
Zidane said.
Materazzi responded to the French TV interview with a statement again
denying insulting Zidane’s mother.
Italian defender Materazzi, who scored the equaliser on Sunday, said:
“I didn’t mention anything about religion, politics or racism.
“I didn’t insult his mother. I lost my mother when I was 15 years old
and still get emotional when I talk about it.
“Naturally, I didn’t know that his mother was in hospital but I wish
her all the best.
“Zidane is my hero and I have always admired him a lot.”
Zidane was sent off for headbutting Materazzi in the chest in the
second period of extra-time in the final in Berlin.
He appeared on French TV station Canal Plus to explain his actions.
Zidane refused to say sorry to Materazzi and said he did not regret
what he did after being provoked by the insults.
But Zidane, who was playing in his final game before quitting
football, added: “They were very hard words. You hear them once and
you try to move away.
“But then you hear them twice, and then a third time.
“Before anything else I am a man and some words are harder to hear
than actions. I would rather have taken a blow to the face than hear
that
“I want to apologise,” he said. “But I can’t regret it because if do
that would be like admitting that he had every reason to say what he
said. I can’t do that because he was not right to say what he said.”
Zidane also called for Materazzi to be punished for his provocations.
Since the incident, rumours have run rife about what Materazzi said
to get such a reaction from the Frenchman.
There were claims the Italian had called Zidane a “terrorist”, but in
Tuesday’s edition of the Italian newspaper La Gazetta dello Sport,
Materazzi said: “It was the kind of insult you will hear dozens of
times and just slips out of the ground.
“I didn’t call Zidane a terrorist and certainly didn’t mention his
mother.
“I did not bring up Zidane’s mother; for me a mother is sacred.”
Zidane, who was born and grew up in Marseille, is the son of Algerian
immigrants and has suffered taunts about his heritage throughout his
football career.
The two players initially clashed in the Italian penalty area before
words were exchanged.
Materazzi said: “I held his shirt, for only a few seconds.
“He turned towards me and scoffed at me, looking at me with super
arrogance, up and down.
“He said ‘if you really want my shirt, you can have it later.’ It’s
true, I shot back with an insult.”
Fifa is to investigate Zidane’s sending-off while Fifa president Sepp
Blatter has hinted the France star could be stripped of his World Cup
best player award.