Jul 14 2006
Zidane vs. Materazzi: The Headbutt
In the final overtime of the World Cup Championship, a soccer superstar, playing in his last game, brutally headbutts an opponent. I’m sure most of us have seen the video, but here it is again to refresh your memory.
So, why did a legendary soccer star commit a horrible act in the final 10 minutes of his career?
On Sky Sports, Zidane says:
“He then pronounced very tough words, words that hurt me deeply, words about my mother and my sister. At first, I tried not to listen to him but he kept repeating them.
[...]
“I would rather have taken a punch in the jaw than have heard that.”
Materazzi is quoted on CNN.com:
“I said nothing to him about race, religion or politics. I did not talk about his mother either,” the defender was quoted as saying.
“I lost my mother when I was 15 and it still upsets me to talk about it. Of course I didn’t know that his mother was in hospital. I send her my best wishes.”
What I find interesting in all of this is the reactions.
Anil Dash has pulled together multiple animations of the headbutt and set the entire thing to music.
TheStar.com has complied a list of comments.
The Sports Pulse has a good post on this story including some updates to what the lip readers have found.
