Questions Over What Prompted Zidane’s Head-Butt Stir Controversy

It’s still unclear just what Italian defender Marco Materazzi said to Zinedine Zidane that prompted the head-butt that ended the French superstar’s career, but whatever it was, it must have been pretty bad.

Reports surfaced that Materazzi called Zidane a “terrorist,” but it’s a charge the Italian refuses to accept.

“I did insult him, it’s true,” Materazzi said. “But I categorically did not call him a terrorist. I’m not cultured and I don’t even know what an Islamic terrorist is.”

The incident came about in the late stages of extra time during the World Cup final Sunday. Italy went on to win on penalty kicks, but since then the ugly incident’s almost gotten more press.

The pair exchanged words when Italy broke up a French attack and after taking a few steps away from Materazzi, Zidane wheeled around and drove his head right into the defender’s chest, knocking him to the ground.

Zidane was sent off with a red card, marking the end of a legendary career. For some reason though, the outpour of sympathy for France’s captain has been so great, his malicious action is being overlooked with people choosing to focus on what awful thing could have been said to spark it.

“I held his shirt for a few seconds only, then he turned round and spoke to me, sneering,” the Materazzi said. “He looked me up and down, arrogantly and said: `If you really want my shirt, I’ll give it to you afterwards.”‘

Materazzi won’t go into any more specifics, but the 32-year-old insists it was business as usual.

“It was one of those insults you’re told tens of times and that always fly around the pitch,” he said.

Media reports based on interpretations by lip-readers suggest Materazzi called Zidane a terrorist or insulted his mother or sister. Materazzi denies these claims, too.

“For me, the mother is sacred, you know that,” Materazzi told reporters.

Both players have a checkered past. Materazzi was suspended for two months after punching another player during a Serie A game in February 2004 and was criticized for a vicious tackle on Juventus striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic in October of the following year.

For his part, Zidane’s alo known for his temper. Learning to play in the ghetto, his rough exterior led him to stomp a Saudi Arabian opponent at the 1998 World Cup and he once head-butted an opponent in a Champions League match while playing with Juventus.

FIFA announced Tuesday it will open a disciplinary investigation into Zidane’s conduct, which is good because there are some serious double standards at play here. FIFA named Zidane as the tournament’s best player after his head-butt, but Italy forward Francesco Totti was kicked out of the 2004 European Championship for spitting in an opponent’s face.

“I notice a difference in the way in which Totti was treated after the spit and the way in which Zinedine Zidane has been lauded as a champion of soccer, even though he is held responsible for such a violent blow that it could even have had devastating effects,” said Rome Mayor Walter Veltroni.

Voting for the tournament’s top player, as voted by journalists, was open until after the final ended, making it impossible to know how many ballots were cast before the match and during it.