Materazzi says Zidane was 'super arrogant'

AFP

ROME, July 11: Italian defender Marco Materazzi has for the first time acknowledged that he "insulted" French player Zinedine Zidane because he was super arrogant in the World Cup final, La Gazzetta dello Sport reported on Tuesday.

Zidane, 34, floored Materazzi with a headbutt to the chest in the second half of extra-time in Sunday's final and was sent off, missing a penalty shoot-out in which he would have been expected to take one of France's spot-kicks.

"I held his shirt .. for only a few seconds, he turned toward me and scoffed at me, looking at me with super arrogance, up and down: 'if you really want my shirt, you can have it later.' (Zidane said) It's true, I shot back with an insult," the paper quoted Materazzi as saying.

Asked whether he had insulted Zidane's sister or mother, Materazzi said, it was an "insult of the kind you will hear dozens of times and that just slips out on the ground."

"I certainly didn't call him a terrorist; I am ignorant, I don't even know what an Islamic terrorist is; my only terrorist is her," he said pointing to his 10-month-old daughter who was sleeping next to him on the plane that took the Italian team back to Italy.

"I certainly did not mention Zidane's mother; for me a mother is sacred."

In recalling the incident in Berlin's Olympic Stadium, the newspaper Corriere della Sera said that Materazzi lost his mother when he was 14 and that he would certainly not have insulted Zidane's.

The French player's agent had said Monday that Zidane's World Cup final assault on Materazzi was provoked by a "very serious" comment made by the Italian defender.

The former Real Madrid star's moment of madness in his last match before retiring may have been provoked by Materazzi calling his sister a prostitute, according to a report on Brazilian television channel Globo.

Fantastico, a programme on Globo, employed lip-reading experts who said footage of the incident showed the Italian twice insulted Zidane's sister.

The programme claimed Materazzi made the same comment twice before then using a "coarse word" at the French player.

Zidane has not given his account of the incident but there have been reports Materazzi had called him a "terrorist" or suggested he did not have the right to play for France -- both insults based on French-born Zidane's Algerian heritage.

Also See:

Materazzi called Zidane 'a son of terrorist whore': UK lip reader

http://sport.indiatimes.com/soccerarticleshow/1726712.cms

tell me who has come out winner out of this whole incidence.
materrazi with WORLD CUP.

Italians have come out an winners of the FIFA world cup 2006.
Zidane no matter what will always be remembered as one of the greatest players of Football. His few seconds of madness can never and will never over-shadow the elegance, brilliance and beauty he has brought to this sport. He has entertained and inspired millions. And he will be remembered for it.
Whereas, Materazzi, he will always be remembered as a cheap thug who will never and can never come close to the great Zidane. Materazzi is the biggest loser in this incident.

I agree with Hurray..
That cheap Italian basta%d will always be remembered as cheap ass thug!!!
ok!
Bidhan.. now stop acting childish..move on ..why so much hate against Zidane ..even other italy supporters don't have.There is nothing personal here no one is italian or french in this forum!!!!
what is wrong ,everyone has admited .Both verbal or physical abuse is not acceptable!!!!
So..before telling.. quit whining you stop whinning ..your team won ..what else do u want.You made $80 ,go have a ice cream and cool your brain!!!

BBC Radio Five Live asked for help from a deaf lip reader, Jessica Rees, who read the words phonetically to an Italian translator.

She deciphered the insult as being "you're the son of a terrorist whore" - a translation also carried by many national newspapers in Britain on Tuesday.

The BBC's Ten O'Clock News also called in experts to study the television footage of the incident and determined the following:

Materazzi's first word to Zidane was "no" before he then told him to "calm down".

He then accused him of being a "liar" and wished "an ugly death to you and your family" on the day the Frenchman's mother had been taken to hospital ill. This was followed by "Go f*** yourself".

source:http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/world_cup_2006/5169342.stm

IMI, Bidhan is the most bitter person I have come across. He seriously has a mental problem. With this kind of attitude, he will have a long, miserable life.

i have nothing against zidane. buty you french supporters are making materazzi as a scape goat which he isnt.
purely based on the final all i can say zidane was disgraceful.

and you know french supporter. wether even if you dont accept italy is world champions it wont change the truth. 6 billions people believes italy won.

Racial Incidents Mar Italy’s World Cup Celebration
By PETER KIEFER, NY Times
Published: July 11, 2006
ROME, July 11 — Swastikas spray painted in Rome’s ancient Jewish ghetto sullied Italy’s joy after its World Cup victory on Sunday, as did racial comments made by a former government minister about the French team.

Jeff Z. Klein, Robert Mackey and other staff members of The Times and International Herald Tribune are following the aftermath of the world's most popular sporting event.

Italy’s interior minister, Giuliano Amato, said today that a number of swastikas were daubed on the walls of Rome’s Jewish quarter during the postgame festivities. “As an Italian I feel ashamed, and as interior minister I am alarmed by such things,” Mr. Amato reportedly said during a visit to Rome’s main synagogue.

And a number of Italian politicians and the French ambassador to Italy issued a strong rebuke to remarks made by Roberto Calderoli, the former minister of reform and a member of the right-wing National Alliance Party. After the Cup victory he said that the Italians had vanquished a French team that was comprised of “Negroes, communists and Moslems.” Italian soccer is no stranger to extremist politics. Italian football matches are often used as a platform for far-right fans to express racist sentiments.

There is no love lost between Italian fans and the French, especially France’s star Zinedine Zidane, who was sent off in the waning minutes of the World Cup final for head-butting the Italian defender, Marco Materazzi, apparently after being taunted. Mr. Zidane and members of his family have emerged as a favorite target of Italian insults. Some of those relatives have reportedly said they believed Mr. Materazzi had called Mr. Zidane a “terrorist,’’ a charge the Italian player has denied.

As for Mr. Calderoli, this is his latest brush with controversy. During the international crisis over the publishing of cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad, Mr. Calderoli was forced to resign from his ministerial post earlier this year after making statements supporting the use of force against Muslims and wearing a T-shirt on national television with one of the cartoons emblazoned on it.

Mr. Calderoli’s television appearance precipitated attacks on the Italian embassy in Libya in which at least 11 people were killed and dozens injured.

After the climactic game Sunday, there were brief clashes between the police and bottle-throwing rowdies in Rome’s city center. On Monday, hundreds of thousands of fans joyously welcomed the arrival of their world champion team at the Circus Maximus in Rome.

what do expect from country filled with MUSSOLINIs and MAFIA..
there brain cannot think beyond pepporoni, sussage and olives.:)