The Zidane Head Butt

Tarjeta roja? Ay carumba!

Zinedine Zidane was just drawn a red card in the second OT period of the World Cup Final for a vicious head butt to the chest of an Italian Marco Materazzi. After looking at the video, it seems as if Materazzi said something that sent Zidane over the edge.

Amazing. It's like seeing Joe Dimaggio tossed from the seventh game of the World Series in extra innings. More later.

Here's one reaction:

I was going for France, but after the Zidane head-butt, I'm going for Italy. However, I would love to know what the Italy player actually said.

Me too.

UPDATE: Welcome to PKs. Pirlo puts Italy ahead 1-0.

Wiltord ties it 1-1.

Materazzi, showing no ill effects, scores to the right corner, 2-1 Italia...

Trezeuget stutter steps and hits the woodwork! 2-1, Italy.

De Rossi buries it, 3-1 Italy, could end here...

Abidal left foots France to 3-2.

Del Piero puts Italy up 4-2. A miss could end it here.

Spagnol makes it 4-3. Italy could clinch here...

Grosso buries it, Italy wins, 5-3 on PKs!

Question: Who wears the goat horns: Zidane, France GK Fabien Barthez or Trezeuget?

Camoranesi just lost his pony tail.

Here's something about Zidane that I had forgotten:

Eight years ago, Zidane was also red-carded for stamping on an opponent against Saudi Arabia.

Somebody needs to grab Zidane before he leaves Berlin and ask him what Materazzi actually said.

Here's another Zidane reaction:

Zidane... WTF man, you're a member of FIFA not the WWE. You probably feel real proud that you just blew all of your class and lost the world cup. What are you going to do now? Go to EuroDisney?

If anyone has a link to the video, please send it my way.

Zidane isn't bothering to come out of the locker room to get his second place medal. That doesn't look good.

I just listened to Brent Musberger talk about how active the transfer market for players in Italian Soccer will be in the coming weeks. Surely Howard Cosell is spinning in his grave.

BTW -- It might be a good night to go to an Italian restaurant. If anyone is going to comp you a plate of linguini, it's gotta be tonight.

And here's another thought: How does it feel that the U.S. was the only team in this tournament that kept Italy from recording a win?

Here's the video:

I'm pretty sure the French commentator is saying, "Why, why, why?"

Not the way you want to go out. Here's an online poll from Oz asking if Zidane cost France the title.

UPDATE: Here's a dispatch from the People's Republic of Seabrook:

AND JUST WHAT IN THE HELL WAS ZINEDINE ZIDANE THINKING?? You’re the captain of France’s national team, you’re in the World Cup final, you’re playing in the final match of a beyond brilliant career…AND YOU END IT ALL BY HEAD-BUTTING AN OPPOSING DEFENDER IN THE CHEST?? WTF??

D’ya think France could have used Zidane in the penalty kicks? “Zizou” is arguably the best penalty kick artist in the world, but he was of no use since he’d been red-carded and was holed up in the French dressing room. Go figure….

Still waiting on an interview with Zidane...

UPDATE: Here's France head coach Raymond Domenech on the Zidane incident:

"There a moments, when you take blows for 80 minutes, I'm not saying I'm excusing it but I can understand," Domenech told reporters after the match.

(snip)

"I don't know. I think Materazzi was perhaps involved. Something must have happened,

"I don't think Zidane decided out of the blue to react in such a way that he would be sent off."

Well, that's as clear as mud. No sign of any interview with Materazzi as of yet.

Here's a great headline: "ZZ Blows His Top".

UPDATE: Could it be that Materazzi pulled an Essa Tikkanen? Rob Smyth at the Guardian saw it too.

I just looked at the video again, and while this might have happened, I can't say for sure if it actually did. And if you can't understand French, here's a Dutch clip.

Thanks to reader Bill Mill for that pointer.

UPDATE: Now there is talk that Materazzi called Zidane a terrorist.

Eric 04:18 PM

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