What Did Materazzi Say To Zidane?
Update: Zidane has spoken about the incident. Read Zidane’s comments on the headbutt incident.
This is one of those things where you really, really should let go. If Zidane is going to tell us himself, that’s great, but if he isn’t, speculation won’t help anyone (apart from sell a few extra copies of your rag, I suppose).
Materazzi though, has spoken and denied a few of the accusations (without saying exactly what it was).
Materazzi Statement
“It was the kind of insult you will hear dozens of times and just slips out of the ground.”
“I didn’t call Zidane a terrorist and certainly didn’t mention his mother.”
“Zidane looked at me with super arrogance… it’s true I shot back with an insult.”
“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.
“I did not bring up Zidane’s mother; for me a mother is sacred.”
“I held his shirt, for only a few seconds.”
“He turned towards me and scoffed at me, looking at me with super arrogance, up and down.”
“He said ‘if you really want my shirt, you can have it later.’”
“It’s true, I shot back with an insult.”
What the BBC says
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”.
Media Reaction
Zidane’s agent, Alain Migliaccio, has hinted that Zidane will soon reveal exactly what was said by Materazzi.
Apparently, people are asking for retrospective action if it can be proved that Materazzi racially abused Zidane. That’s fine and dandy, but try to stamp out cheating first using video analysis and retrospectively punishing players, please.
Zidane - Materazzi Rumours
So, in the interest of compiling all the ridiculous rumours as to what Materazzi actually said, here’s what we have so far:
1. According to an Italian lip-reader (courtesy of the BBC), Materazzi said: “I wish an ugly death to you and all your family.” He then told Zidane to “go fuck yourself“.
2. A Paris-based anti-racism group, SOS-Racism, earlier said that “several very well informed sources” had suggested Zidane was called a “dirty terrorist“.
3. After Materazzi grabbed Zidane’s shirt, it is alleged that Zidane responded by sarcastically telling Materazzi that he could have his shirt as a souvenir at the end of the match. The Italian is alleged to have responded by saying that Zidane could keep it for his sister and then made an extremely derogatory comment about her…that version is backed up by lip-readers from the Brazilian TV channel Globo. They claim Materazzi called her a “prostitute”.
4. Italians say Zidane flipped simply because Materazzi told him that he should go play for Inter.
Note that some people claim that Materazzi twisted Zidane’s nipple when he was holding him from behind; if that is true then the sister jibe that’s mentioned above could have been actually something different, in which case few people would blame Zidane for the headbutt….but goddammit, this is the final - you want to take revenge do it after you’ve won the World Cup (or lost it). Why ruin everything for your country and viewers around the world (even as an Italian fan I would have been happy to see Zidane score a late winner) by lashing out 10 minutes before extra time ended?
- Zidane Comments On The Headbutt Incident
- Revisiting the Zidane-Materazzi headbutt
- Zidane Headbutts Materazzi - Video and Images
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- The Dive That Almost Won The World Cup
Discussion - 7 Responses
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If Materazzi actually said something to the tune of “dirty terrorist” or any “racial jibe”, he should be banned and made an example of. Zidane was SO wrong to have lost his head, but racism and cunt behaviour from a habitual niggler is also not on. Materazzi’s already been banned several times for his violent and racist behaviour, so a good year off will do him some good.
Just jog back to his horrible punch during Inter and Villarreal’s Champions League quarter final.
Let’s see what the evidence says.
Oh Hush!..I think what he did will be remembered more than if he had just played till the end..where the result could’ve gone anywhere.
Even the French President was super cool about it..and read the following:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zinedine_Zidane#FIFA_investigation
FIFA investigation
On July 11, 2006, FIFA declared its intent to officially investigate the incident.[26]
An Amendment [1] regarding discrimination to Art. 55, Par. 4 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code [2] stipulates that if any player, association or club official or spectator publicly disparages, discriminates against or denigrates someone in a defamatory manner on account of race, colour, language, religion or ethnic origin, or perpetrates any other discriminatory and/or contemptuous act and can be attributed to a certain team, the team in question faces deduction of points in the group stage resp. disqualification in the knockout stage.
The new provisions had been adopted on 28 March 2006 [3] [4] and may lead to the FIFA Executive Committee imposing harsh sanctions and even disallowing Italy’s team the World Cup victory if Materazzi is convicted of having insulted Zidane with racial slurs.[27]
[27] ^ Prskalo, Pavo, “Warum die Fifa Italien den Titel aberkennen könnte”, SPIEGEL online, July 11, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-07-11. (written in German)
I agree with Dixon. He absolutely deserves a ban - whether it was the terrorist jibe, or the sister one or (heh) even the Inter one. The thing is, it’s not the first time he’s lost his head, but damn he looks like he’s smarter than the rest of us. I’m sure he was frustrated and it was a dumbfuck thing to do, so fine, don’t take away Italy’s medals. But suspend Materazzi too, take away HIS winner’s medal, relegate Inter . . getting a bit carried away here, but you get the point.
In my personal opinion, I don’t really care what they said to eachother! Zidane should have sucked it up and won the match! I’m sure most agree, even me as an Italian supporter, that France would have won if it had not been for Zidane. Ofcourse it is entertaining to hear what was supposedly said, the least he could’ve done was hit him AFTER the match like a real man! You know? Obviously Matterazzi shouldn’t have been rude, but they all are! It’s just the first time its being published! Oh well, it was Zidane’s last match, atleast he went out with a bang!
what the fuck r u talkin about Melissa:@,what will u do if u were in zidane place i mean if u was a man, huh matterazzi insulted zidane’s family and called him a terrerist,what is this to do with football.seriously i was supporting italy but after the incident i regret it:@
you know what it wouldnt have make a differece if zidane stayed in the match. Italy was clearly a much better team that france anyway. and I dont care what my brotha materazzi sayed , we won anyway!!!!!!!!
Forza italia!!!!
Campione del mondo!!!!!!!!!!!
i dissagree, if zidane satyed in the game it would have been totally different game cuz anything can happen in footboll especially if Zizu is playing