The Zidane headbutt

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5 responses to “The Zidane headbutt”

1. 

   Anonymous

   11 July, 2006

   ah baloney, a man can say whatever the hell he wants…..but nobody should be surprised that Zidane did what he did in response. Restricting even the most vile of speech is not the way, as that only leads to more and more censorship as more and more groups of people “might” be offended.The bottom line is that men have tempers and if another man intentionally plays with fire he shouldn't be surprised not if but WHEN he gets burned.Go Zidane!

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2. 

   Anonymous

   11 July, 2006

   Zidane Headbutt Video…zidane head buttI’ve been watching football for some time now. In the years I’ve been watching this sport I have never seen a foul like that. Usually there is a build up before a foul such as this. Possibly a bad trip, or a push from a player o…

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3. 

   Anonymous

   11 July, 2006

   Agreed that what Materazzi supposedly said was horrible. And it makes Zidane's response understandable. But certainly not forgivable. It was a wonderful teaching point for my kids: Are you going to be a Zinedine Zidane and lose on the field? Or are you going to be a Jackie Robinson and win on the field?

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4. 

   Anonymous

   11 July, 2006

   I'm not excusing what he did; he fully deserved a red card and, had it not been his last game, a multi-game suspension. But, Zidane's mother was rushed to the hospital not 24 hours prior, this was the final game of the tournament and Zidane's final game. You have to admit that the pressure was slightly higher than normal for him and Materazzi's comment was way out of line.I'm also not proposing that the players not be allowed to speak, a) because it's an unenforceable rule and b) it's part of the game. However, FIFA can and should dole out punishment after the fact for egregious actions such as this, much as they will do for Rooney.The comparison to Jackie Robinson is a little off, in my opinion. Jackie Robinson was fighting not just for himself or his team, but (unfairly) for his entire race. Zidane didn’t disgrace all French with this, he blemished his reputation. In fact, this isn’t the first person Zidane’s been sent off for headbutting, either.That said, Materazzi got exactly what he deserved from Zidane and deserves an official sanction. Taunting while fishing for a foul is one thing; tossing out hate speech on the pitch is a disgrace to football. Sometimes standing up for yourself is a lesson worth learning.

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5. 

   Anonymous

   16 July, 2006

   I think Zidane had the full right to do what he did. Materazzis denial is obviously fake. You think Zidane wanted his career to end this way?? Although I was supporting Italy in that game, I am very disappointed for that gesture. Materazzi is known for his ill manners and bad behavior. He should have been punished just like Zidane has. I don’t think that Zidane takes pleasure in head butting. I think Materazzi offended him badly and though they always say violence isn’t the answer, I’m glad Zidane did it. What he said must have been worse than punching somebody in the face. I'd rather be beaten up than be insulted in the world’s largest stage. Words do mean a lot and can hurt people’s feelings and I am sure that that was the situation with Zidane. Many disagreed with the way that he reacted but Zidane is a man after all and that is all that matters. Zidane, I think you have full right to react the way you reacted. I'm sorry for the way it ended, sometimes things don’t turn out the way you expect them to and speaking as a big fan of the Italian team, I’ve decided that I have changed my mind. France deserved that cup, they had performed much better and believe me when I say it, if Zidane wasn't sent off, Italy would have never laid its hands on that cup and we all know it.

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