World Cup 2006: who will be the Champion?

By the way i would like to ask.. does anybody think that France would have won or atleast had a better chance if Zidane had not seen red? One player missed the goal in the shootout. Buffon is supposed to be the best. But he did not have to do anything. He did good during the game but i feel like he really is down when it comes to penalty shootouts.. he was totally diving and reachin on the ground before the shot goes in. Too early! Plus for each of the takes.. i saw him diving in the opposite direction. I don't think he got any one right. But during the game he made some nice saves. Meanwhile Barthez is weak and as it is he is short. He could have stopped the header if he had been staying properly positioned. Anyway who care now!

And btw.. Shakira was hot and sizzling...!! And NOOO.. Her hips werent lying.. NOT ONE BIT!!

I think even if Zidane hadn't been sent off the game would have still ended up in penalties and after seeing Italy's penalties, I think France would have still lost.

Grey_Mysterio, Zidane isn't always a "gentleman" on the pitch, he's one of the most carded midfielders ever!

Zinedine Zidane's agent says the France captain headbutted Marco Materazzi in Sunday's World Cup final because the Italian made a "very serious" comment.
Zidane appeared to react to something that was said and was dismissed for his violent charge into his opponent.

"He told me Materazzi said something very serious to him but he wouldn't tell me what," agent Alain Migliaccio told BBC Five Live Sport.

Sources in France say it is believed Materazzi insulted Zidane's family.

bbc.co.uk
Underlining by me.

If he did insult his family, I don't blame Zizou for doing what he did.

Link

PARIS, July 10 (Reuters) - France captain Zinedine Zidane was apparently called a "dirty terrorist" by Marco Materazzi before he head-butted the Italy defender in Sunday's World Cup final, the anti-racism group SOS Racism said on Monday.

"According to several very well informed sources from the world of football, it would seem that the Italian player Marco Materazzi called Zinedine Zidane a 'dirty terrorist'," SOS Racism said in a statement.

Zidane, the son of Algerian immigrants, was shown a red card after the incident and Italy went on to win on penalties after the match was tied 1-1 following extra time.

The Paris-based group called for an inquiry and said world soccer's governing body FIFA had recently toughened sanctions against racism.

Well this answers the question as to why he headbutted the Italian player. Was it planned? To get the all star out of the game? Maybe...

I also heard he had said something about Zidane's family getting killed, havent seen anything about it myself just scuttlebut at work, if thats true the Italian is lucky thats all Zidane did. If it had been me id have stamped on his head after just to be sure

according to the daily mail when Materazzi held Zidane he said:
"Hold on, wait, that one's not for *****(dregs) like you"
Zidane's response was not visible but as the players walked forward Materazzi said:
"We all know you are the son of a terrorist whore." then just before the head butt he was seen saying "So just f*** off."

That's according to a lip reading expert.
It's all quite funny really, but he(Materazzi) deserved what he got.

That's absolutely sickening. Matrix is lucky he didn't get more than he did; if it were me, I'd have killed him for saying something like that. I hope Materazzi gets what's coming to him.

Sky News reports that Zidanes mother had apparently fallen seriously ill prior to the match, then the italian player called him a "son of a terrorist whore".

A lip-reader has reportedly revealed the words which provoked Zinedine Zidane's now infamous World Cup final headbutt.

Marianne Frere claims Italian defender Marco Materazzi insulted the French captain with a stream of racial and personal abuse.

She told The Sun that Zidane was called a "son of a terrorist whore" before he lashed out and was sent off.

Reports in France have suggested it was the reference to the Algerian-born star's mother which made him blow his top.

His mother Malika had been taken to hospital seriously ill only hours before Sunday's final.

Source: Reason for Zidane's headbutt

If this is found to be true, then i can't say i blame him. Well maybe i'd of waited 30 mins and won the world cup before nutting him!

I feel it will be a while before we find out the truth on this one, and i can't see it coming soon from the italian player either. He reckons that he is culturally ignorant and does'nt even know what an Islamic terrorist is.

"I did not call him a terrorist. I am not a cultured person and I don't even know what an Islamist terrorist is."

Yeah ok, in this day and age you don't know what a terrorist is? I know football players are thick but not that thick!

But Marco......why say "Islamic" and "terrorist" in the same phrase then if you don't know what one is? Come to think of it, who mentioned anything about the word "Islamic?. You're the first one to mention this!

Digging your own grave here i think.

CX.

Gallas was in the paper saying hes gonna fill Matterazi in, for getting Zizou sent off calm down son.

In the beginning, I was sure France would win. After the guy got a red tag for head-butting, I wasn't so sure. After my homie told me that the guy to kick the ball was a substitute and had never been on a world cup before, I was I had my hopes down. I lost 99 cents betting on France. If all that BS didn't happen, I'm very sure France would've won. Of course, if Russia was playin France, I would of course go for Russia. Matter of fact, I would bring a whole army to the game, and shoot the ball if it ever flew for Russia's net. . Anyway, sucks that France lost. I am surprised, however, that Brazil didn't make it to the finals. Hmmm. Things are not what they seem.

Russian Soldier, France didn't lose the World Cup because of Zidane's sending off; they were struggling when he was on the pitch. Italy's defence is like a wall made of bricks, reinforced with titanium. I think Italy would have still won if Zidane hadn't been sent off.

£.02

Originally posted by xeroxed88
I think Italy would have still won if Zidane hadn't been sent off.

We'll never know, But Trezeguet, a team-mate of Buffon at Juventus might not have taken a penelty against a keeper who obviously knows him very well, had Zidane not been sent off.

Anyway, the speculation draws to a close, Zidane will speak tonight:

Zinedine Zidane will speak publicly for the first time after his controversial red card in the World Cup final, which France lost to Italy on penalties.
The 34-year-old will appear on French television at 1900 BST on Wednesday.

Fifa is to investigate Zidane's sending off for a headbutt on Marco Materazzi, which happened seconds after the Italian apparently insulted him.
Source.

[edit on 12/7/06 by Implosion]

Just gotta say this:
A- when zidane got sent off France were on top and had been since the first half of normal time.
B - trezeguet taking a penalty a penalty against a teammate had nothing to do with it. Buffon went the wrong way and trezeguet hit the crossbar. Similar to zidane's penalty earlier in the game. It was unlucky more than anything.