Zidane would `rather die` than apologise over headbutt
France legend Zinedine Zidane says he
would "rather die" than apologise to Marco Materazzi for his
infamous headbutt of the Italian defender in the 2006 World
Cup final.
|Last Updated: Mar 02, 2010, 09:13 AM IST|Source: Bureau
Madrid: France legend Zinedine Zidane says he
would "rather die" than apologise to Marco Materazzi for his
infamous headbutt of the Italian defender in the 2006 World
Cup final.
"I will ask forgiveness from football, from supporters,
from the team..," he told Spain`s El Pais newspaper published
yesterday.
"After the match, I entered the dressing room and I told
them `I`m sorry. It won`t change anything, but I`m asking for
your forgiveness.`
"But as for him (Materazzi) I cannot. Never, never... It
would be dishonourable... I would rather die."
After a verbal altercation, Zidane was sent off for
headbutting Materazzi during the World Cup final in Berlin,
which France eventually lost in a penalty shoot-out.
"A lot of things happen on the pitch," he told El Pais.
"That sort of thing happens to me quite a lot. But in this
case I couldn`t contain myself.”
"It`s not an excuse, but my mother was ill, she was in
hospital. More than once they have insulted my mother and I
said nothing. But in this case ..."
Zidane retired from professional football after the
tournament and now works as an advisor to Real Madrid chairman
Florentino Perez.
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.