There are very few
moments that stick in the minds of football fans. No matter how big an event
they may easily forget, but the 2006 FIFA World Cup Final between France and
Italy on July 9, 2006, held at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, Germany, is
universally accepted as an immortal moment in the world of football history.
This event revolves around the then captain of the France national football
team, Zinedine Zidane, which overshadowed other moments of that historic match.
After this day, if someone mentions the name of the legendary French midfielder
and captain Zinedine Zidane, he will certainly not end the conversation without
mentioning this moment in history.
During the scheduled 90
minutes of the match, both teams tied 1:1 and as the final whistle of the extra
time was approaching, the audience's heart rate was also increasing. At that
time, the tension in Berlin's Olympiastadion reached a fever pitch. Zidane, who
once announced his retirement from the national team, returned to the World
Cup, displaying his best skills in the tournament, leading France to the final
with a mixture of elegance and determination. However, fate took an unexpected
turn in the 110th minute of the final match when Zidane hit Italian defender
Marco Materazzi with his skinhead on the chest.
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| Image Source: theguardian.com |
Watch video of Zidane's headbutt on Materazzi
The incident, now
immortalized, saw Zidane headbutt Materazzi, resulting in Zidane being shown a
red card and an abrupt end to his illustrious career on the grandest stage like
the World Cup. Zidane's brilliant career came to an abrupt end. It was a
painful moment for French fans and fans of the beautiful game, as they
witnessed the unexpected departure of a footballing maestro.
Following the
conclusion of that final match, then French President Jacques Chirac uttered
words that resonated with Zidane's spirit. Chirac praised Zidane as "a man
of heart and faith" and emphasized the emotional connection Zidane had
built with the French people over the years. Aside from the infamous headbutt,
Chirac acknowledged the broader story of Zidane's career, giving a broader
narrative of extraordinary skill, leadership, and commitment to his team and
country. Zidane's journey from
the streets of Marseille to the pinnacle of world football is a story of
resilience and triumph. His ability to transcend the sport and become the
epitome of French footballing prowess is a testament to his exceptional talent
and charismatic leadership.
The 2006 World Cup
final may be remembered for the moment of controversy, but this moment alone
should not overshadow the brilliance that Zidane brought to the table through
the beautiful game. His legacy extends far beyond this headbutt incident,
encompassing his storied career as well as leaving an indelible mark on
football history.
Finally, despite
Zidane's behavior on the pitch during the World Cup finals is controversial, it
adds complexity to his narrative. He will remain as "a man of heart and
conviction" behind not only his success but also the human elements that
define his journey. Zinedine Zidane is a shining star in the world of football
whose legacy transcends the limits of victory and defeat and his extraordinary
contributions to the game are forever etched in the hearts of all sports lovers.
On 10 July, 2006, some
general citizens roaming at Paris were asked question about the performances of
France in final of world cup 2006, to which they gave following opinions:
1. "As for
Zidane's send off, it is a shame that it ends like that, but he is a human
being. He must be an example for the youth and all, but I wasn't that shocked,
if the other player really pushed him around and annoyed him, there's no
problem."
2. "It was a real
shame that they ended on this image, but I think they had a chance to win as
much as to lose. They played a very good game. They mustn't be ashamed of
themselves."
3. "They did their
best. It was a very nice game anyway. It is a stroke of luck for the Italians.
It's more about chance than anything else."
4. "I think Zidane
did not behave very well, it is a shame, but it is our cousins who won after
all."
5. "I was sad
regarding Zidane's gesture because I know he is very unhappy about it. I'm sad
for him. Apparently the Italian did something. He must have insulted him or said
something serious. That's why Zidane reacted accordingly. It's unusual for him
to react like that. We all know Zidane, he's the coolest guy in the world, as
everybody says. It's a pity!"
For many French fans,
Zinedine Zidane's head-butt in the 2006 World Cup final left a lasting impact,
overshadowing the disappointment of France's loss and tarnishing his iconic
career. But, when France national football team returned back to Paris at 10
July 2006, the crowd screamed wildly for Zidane. Jacques Chirac said, in his speech at the
Elysee Palace, where he received the team, "By bringing France to the
final for the second time in eight years you gave us enormous honour and
enormous pride." Fans waiting at the airport to greet the team were asked
about Zidane's behaviour, to which fans replied:
1. "(We are here)
to support them and tell them thank you for exciting us for a whole month, for
making us dream, because we never thought we would get to the final. We were
living it day after day, especially after the first round, we were living it
day after day, it was a dream."
2. "Zizou is the
best, and I think he is going to apologize with such a gesture, with all the
pressure he had, it wasn't right, but I don't know what happened, what was
said. In any case he is a great player."
3. "I really hope
that he (Zidane) is going to explain himself in front of the cameras but it
does not seem that will be the case to explain his gesture, because in France
he represents today's youth. It is important for the young people to understand
what happened, that it's not right."
In a nutshell, disheartened
supporters paid homage to the retiring French captain Zinedine Zidane and
refrained from placing blame on him for their team's loss in the World Cup
final against Italy. Despite being sent off for head-butting an opponent, fans
chose to honor his contributions instead of criticizing his actions.
— Omnath
Pokharel
For the video where fans shared
their feelings (Including Reference Image which is actually screengrabs from following videos) :
1.Reaction from Paris the day after France's WCup final defeat
2. Reaction from then President Jacques René Chirac the day after France's WCup final defeat
