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Zizou called 'son of terrorist whore'
Emma-Kate Symons, Paris
12 July 2006
DEVASTATED French fans rallied around their flawed football hero Zinedine Zidane as
evidence emerged that he was insulted as "the son of a terrorist whore" before he
headbutted Italian defender Marco Materazzi in the dramatic World Cup final.
Zidane was sent off with a red card in the 110th minute, before the penalty
shoot-out and Italy's victory, ending his extraordinary international soccer career
in what commentators around the world called disgrace.
But lip-reading experts called in by media outlets including The Times of London,
The Daily Mail and The Guardian, along with outlets in Brazil, confirmed that the
34-year-old rammed Materazzi in the chest after the Italian player called him the
"son of a terrorist whore", and then told him to "f... off".
Other versions included insults to Zidane's sister and references to him as a "dirty
Muslim" and one of the "dregs".
Zizou, as he is known in France, is the son of Algerian migrants. He was raised in
the gritty suburbs of Marseilles and calls himself a non-practising Muslim. He has
played in Italy and speaks Italian fluently.
The alleged insult to his mother was described as especially explosive because she
had been taken to hospital gravely ill on the day of the Cup final, and yesterday
Zidane rushed back to Marseilles to be at her bedside. Zidane's agent said the star
was provoked by Materazzi and would explain what happened in a few days.
In Italy, one MP demanded that the Sports Minister hold an inquiry to test the
allegations.
Materazzi, who has a history of verbal and physical abuse in soccer, yesterday
admitted insulting Zidane but denied he used the word "terrorist". "It was the kind
of insult you will hear dozens of times and just slips out of the ground," he told
Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport. "I didn't call Zidane a terrorist and certainly
didn't mention his mother."
At a lunch in honour of Les Bleus, President Jacques Chirac reserved his warmest
comments for Zidane: "Dear Zinedine, in such a hard and intense moment for you, I
would like to express the entire nation's affection and admiration for you. You are
a virtuoso, a genius of soccer and an exceptional human being. You are also a man of
heart, commitment, conviction. That's why France admires and loves you."
Le Parisien newspaper yesterday confirmed the sentiments of the majority of the
French, with a survey showing 78per cent judged him the best player of the Cup,
61per cent forgave his brutality towards Materazzi and 52per cent understood that he
had reacted to provocations. |
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Post time 12-7-2006 11:56 AM
