Marco Materazzi's insult to Zinedine Zidane about his sister before infamous headbutt
Zinedine Zidane is a bonafide football legend, but he ruined the final game of his illustrious career by losing the plot during the 2006 World Cup final between France and Italy
16 years ago today, Zinedine Zidane - one of football's greatest ever players - was seemingly destined to bring the curtain down on his illustrious career in the grandest way possible by winning the 2006 World Cup.
But instead, the Frenchman produced one of the most shocking moments in football history. The 50-year-old became just the fourth man in history to be sent off in a World Cup final after he chopped down Italy's Marco Materazzi with a vicious headbutt during the seismic showdown in Germany.
The pair had already clashed on a couple of occasions earlier in the match, but Materazzi, who was speaking back in 2020, revealed that he riled Zidane up by making a lewd remark about the legendary midfielder's sister during extra-time of the tense clash.
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Materazzi explained: “I wasn’t expecting it in that moment. I was lucky enough that the whole episode took me by surprise because if I had expected something like that to happen and had been ready for it, I’m sure both of us would have ended up being sent off.
“There had been a bit of contact between us in the area. He had scored France’s goal in the first half and our coach told me to mark him. After that first brush between us, I apologised but he reacted badly.
"The late tackles, altercations and exchanges continued until 110 minutes, when things reached a head. After the third clash, I frowned and he retorted, ‘I’ll give you my shirt later’. I replied that I’d rather have his sister than his shirt.”
Do you think France would have won the World Cup if Zidane had been on the pitch for the penalty shootout? Let us know in the comments section below.
Unfortunately for Zidane and France, his moment of madness after Materazzi's jibe proved costly. France held out of the final 10 minutes of extra-time, but they would end up losing the final on penalties after David Trezeguet was denied in the cruellest of fashions by the crossbar.
That defeat spelled the end for Zidane, who had already decided before the tournament that his playing career with the national team would conclude at the end of the summer. The veteran was visibly emotional as he walked past the coveted trophy - and he has since admitted that he is "not proud" of the incident that blotted an otherwise remarkable career.
Zidane previously told TeleFoot: "I did not feel proud, I am not proud of this gesture. of all these young people, all these coaches, all those volunteers who make football a different thing, but it is part of my career, my life, it is one of those things that are not pleasant, we must accept, that we must digest."
The clash is easily one of the most memorable moments in recent World Cup history and was even immortalised in bronze in Doha back in 2013. A public backlash saw the statue removed, but it is set to re-installed ahead of the 2022 World Cup, which is due to take place in Qatar later this year.
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