On July 9th 2006, the year's World Cup Final between France and Italy was in action. Zinedine Zidane, playing his final match before "retirement", converted a "Panenka" penalty kick, the fourth man to score in TWO World Cup Finals; Vava, Pele and Paul Brietner being the others. There were ten minutes left in the game and it looked like Zidane would join a select band of players who had won the World Cup twice.
France was looking the stronger side in Extra Time but it was not going to be Zidane's day! It was Marco Materazzi's day!!! and the Italian defender had a hand (foot) in three major incidents. First, he was judged to have brought down Florent Malouda, conceding a penalty after 7 minutes in the game, which Zidane scored. Malouda then levelled the match with a towering header. With ten minutes of Zidane's career left, Materazzi said something to Zidane which made Zidane "nut" his chest and he was "sent off" in disgrace with 110 minutes gone!! The French were stunned and with the wind out of their sails, Italy held out to 1-1 and won the penalty shoot out 5-3. Both players returned home, one certainly as a National heroes and Zidane won the tournament's Golden Ball, as best player!! Some consolation. Cameroon's Rigobert Song is another player to have been dismissed in two separate World Cups.
What had been said? Lip readers tried to interpret but with no success; all Zidane would admit it was something "personal" about his mother and sister!! Zidane apologised and explained that he was sorry but "could not regret saying what he said because he (Materazzi) should not have said what he said!"
Two months later, Materazzi broke the silence saying "I was tugging his shirt, and he said to me, "If you want my shirt so much, I'll give it to you after the game. I answered, "that I'd prefer his sister!" Ooops!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5I351INkIZw
The action had shocked the World, but Zidane had been shown 14 red cards in his career and in 1998 in the World Cup, he was sent off against Sauid Arabia for stamping on Saudi's defender, Fuad Amin's. He is one of few footballers to have been dismissed in two separate World Cups.
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