13.7.06

BBC: I'm sorry but no regrets - Zidane

Zidane has apologised for the headbutt incident that resulted in his red card against Italy in the World Cup final but says he doesn't regret what happened.

And I, for one, am on his side, despite calling him an "arsehole" before.

Zidane says he can't say he regrets doing it because that would mean that Marco Materazzi - the player butted - was right to say what he said.

But what did he say?

Sources using Italian speaking lip-readers are split. Some say that Materazzi called Zidane - son of Algerian immigrants - "the son of a terrorist whore". Others claim Materazzi wished "an ugly death" to Zidane and his family and then said "go fuck yourself".

Materazzi, for his part, claims he said neither, but does admit he threw an insult.

I don't much like Zidane. He's arrogant - though extremely skilled. But I do agree with him on this. Whatever the provocation, it must have been massive to provoke a seasoned veteran of the game into that kind of rash action in so important a match.

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