Zidane Head Butt in the World Cup Final

Zidane head butt is and ensuing red card will mark him for the rest of his football career. A disgraceful move by such a legend. It’s unfortunate that he had to end his soccer career like this. If only that great header of his went in, just before this happened, but Buffon made a great save. The French coach felt the same, he was thinking he wished he had taken him out, so the crowd could give him his due.

To see the Zidane head butt and what happened watch the video below. Also, watch Buffon’s Save of Zidane’s Header, just before the Zidane head butt. Surely France and Zidane would have won the World Cup if Zidane’s header goes in.

Watch the Zidane head butt in the World Cup final here. Zidane head butts Materazzi in extra time of the 2006 World Cup Final. France lose 5-3 in the following shootout.

What Materazzi said to Zidane?

Materazzi said it was the mention of Zidane’s sister which prompted the butt from the France midfielder which left Italy’s opponents down to 10 men before their defeat on penalties. Here’s exactly what Materazzi supposedly said to Zidane to get him to react so forcefully and head butt him.

From Marca:

“What I said was stupid,” Materazzi told L’Equipe, “but it didn’t deserve that reaction.

“You would hear stronger words said on the streets of Naples, or Milan, or Paris, much more serious things.”

The most common version of events until now has been that Materazzi insulted Zidane’s mother but the Italian denies that this was the case.

“My mother died when I was 15, I would never have insulted his.

“I spoke about his sister.”

Regarding the head butt Materazzi wrote in his yet-to-be-released autobiography:

“I prefer the whore that is your sister,” Materazzi wrote in his yet-to-be-released autobiography, according to Italian news reports Saturday.

‘I did not provoke him, I responded verbally to a provocation,’ Materazzi told the daily Gazzetta dello Sport on Tuesday.

‘We both spoke and I wasn’t the first. I held his shirt but don’t you think it is a provocation to say that ‘if you want my shirt I will give it you afterwards’?

‘I replied to Zidane that I would prefer his sister, that is true. Yes, I brought up his sister and that wasn’t a nice thing, that is true,’ said Materazzi.

‘Thankfully there are tens of footballers who could confirm that much worse things are said on the field,’ added the Inter Milan defender.

Materzzi suckers another player in to a headbutt – watch it.

Watch More Zidane Videos – The Great Star that he is: