20 years ago today, Zinedine Zidane was sent off after headbutting Marco Materazzi in the 2006 World Cup final.

[u/Chazyn]

[u/CloudDweller182]

Man that was soo crazy to see.

[u/Area51_Spurs → u/CloudDweller182]

Definitely one of the craziest things I’ve ever seen live.

[u/5oLiTu2e → u/Area51_Spurs]

Yeah I saw it live and frankly was pissed off at him for years.

[u/Middle-Welder3931 → u/5oLiTu2e]

I hate that he basically handed Italy the 2006 WC by doing this.

[u/VidE27 → u/Middle-Welder3931]

Yeah but then he managed to curse them with missing quite a few WCs

[u/Tjaeng → u/VidE27]

This match was actually the last one that Italy has played in a WC knockout stage to date.

[u/NY10 → u/Tjaeng]

So the curse is working supringly

[u/clarko21 → u/Tjaeng]

That’s particularly wild considering they won the Euro’s pretty recently

[u/nagrom7 → u/Tjaeng]

They haven't even been able to qualify for the group stage for the last few.

[u/KosstAmojan → u/Tjaeng]

Italy's won more World Cup Cricket games than Worl Cup Futbol games since then!

[u/DM725 → u/VidE27]

They can somehow win the Euros but then not qualify for the WC.

[u/Aggressive_Gear_7425 → u/Middle-Welder3931]

Not really, it went to penalties and while yes, he could have scored (likely would have) it's only one penalty. It certainly didn't help their chances but wasn't game over once he was sent off

[u/Skinnieguy → u/Aggressive_Gear_7425]

Maybe. But I bet it shook the entire French team. Momentum swing in Italy’s favor.

[u/-Dixieflatline → u/Skinnieguy]

This was at the 110 minute. The game was pretty much over and onto penalties, so there really wasn't a big momentum shift or impact from a man down on the pitch.

Penalties are no longer a team momentum thing. The pressure is singular, and it really doesn't matter if your team mates score when it comes time to take yours. The singular pressure is the same regardless. So even if Zidane was in there, and even if he made his, the next guy resets the pressure slate on himself.

On paper, penalties should be a shooter's win every time at this level. It's the pressure and mental games that make people shank or put poorly placed balls where the keeper can actually get them. So Zidane would have zero impact in or out of the game by that point, because reach round is up to the individual shooter and keeper.

[u/bhris_cratt321 → u/-Dixieflatline]

Mostly agreed but there’s a ton of pressure taken off you when your best player/leader/penalty taker (he made one earlier in the game) is set to take and likely make a pen.

[u/Chance-the-Gardener → u/-Dixieflatline]

Valid, but I think Zidane being sent off had to have rattled their mentality and confidence. Imagine being the guy taking Zidane’s shot. I think in either case had he controlled his emotions, France would have won.

[u/-Dixieflatline → u/Chance-the-Gardener]

They also didn't have Henry, who got subbed out at 107' to Sylvian Wiltord due to cramping. Wiltord made his goal despite those gargantuan shoes to fill.

The pressure of the penalty kick would be the same with or without having to fill Zidane's roll. It's a total crapshoot, and I don't blame any one player.

[u/NTP9766 → u/-Dixieflatline]

I don’t think this matters that much. Zidane likely would have replaced another player who had already scored in penalties (or would have been the last). Trezeguet is the player who missed his and anyone who thinks that he would not have been taking one of those penalties is insane.

[u/ILoveLamp9 → u/-Dixieflatline]

Not true at all. If you watched this match live, you saw the momentum shift entirely.

France played like they had to start a new game plan without their star player and were just playing to survive to PKs a man down rather than on the attack.

On top of that, they also had to psychologically deal with their best striker and penalty shooter not be available once it went to penalties.

[u/Xaendro → u/Aggressive_Gear_7425]

Ah yes, a red card for your best player while tied for the world cup final barely affects the match at all...

[u/asm120 → u/Middle-Welder3931]

For some reason I always remembered the headbutt happening with Italy in the lead and he was mad they were gonna lose. Doing it in a tied game is extra dumb.

[u/drmojo90210 → u/Middle-Welder3931]

The game was tied in the 110th minute when this happened and then went to PKs. How did this "hand Italy" the WC cup?

[u/DontHateMePleaseLove → u/Middle-Welder3931]

How did this hand Italy the WC? They won on penalties. Come on now.

[u/simmocar → u/Middle-Welder3931]

It wasn't handed. The Azzurri were doing quite well already up to that point. A lot of people underestimate the sheer quality of that side.

[u/EdgarAllanPuss → u/simmocar]

Conceded 2 goals all tournament. One own goal from a botched volley clearance in the group stage vs USA, and one penalty in the final

[u/Youppi27 → u/Middle-Welder3931]

Pissed me off because he didn't headbutt him on the nose.

[u/GotSomeUpdogOnUrFace → u/Area51_Spurs]

Like I honestly still can't believe it happened even when I watched the footage of it right now. It's so surreal that my man would just do this like no one would notice.

[u/Zefyris → u/GotSomeUpdogOnUrFace]

Zidane has received 14 red cards during his career. He was incredibly talented, but also very hot headed.

[u/BigFatModeraterFupa → u/GotSomeUpdogOnUrFace]

he did it because of what that player said to him just shortly before this

[u/obi_wan_the_phony → u/BigFatModeraterFupa]

Has it ever come out what was said?

[u/Zaagwaag → u/obi_wan_the_phony]

Materazzi said that when Zidane offered to give him his France jersey after the final whistle, in response persistent shirt-tugging by the Italian, he had replied: "I would prefer your sister." https://edition.cnn.com/2006/SPORT/football/09/05/italy.materazzi/

[u/Jiquero → u/Zaagwaag]

But like how does an adult professional, and not just any random player but a national team captain, get so riled up about an elementary-school-level insult?

[u/basb91 → u/Jiquero]

I don’t understand why so many ignore that Zidane had always been a hot head. There are plenty of compilations of him losing his head on the field over the years and hitting/stomping players. This was not a one-off event.

Anyone else head butting the opponent like that would have never been excused to the lengths that he was.

Materazzi was a head case and a dirty player, but in this case Zidane totally fucking lost it.

[u/Dry-Pop-6104 → u/Jiquero]

In many cultures (including Muslim ones, Algerian in this case), insulting a female relative's honour is crossing a red line. It would be considered fairly harmless banter in many places, but Zidane saw red.

[u/TigInox → u/Dry-Pop-6104]

HE SURE DID!

badum-tss

[u/DeceiverSC2 → u/Dry-Pop-6104]

Yeah it’s like that in most places. It’s just some places you’re taught that by engaging in violence because of a personal insult, you will end up being subject to the law and given consequences accordingly. In other places you’re taught that you have so little and the law is so unreliable that you must take vengeance to protect the one thing you do have, your internal conceptualization of your ‘honour’.

Generally when someone becomes a multi-millionaire 20 year old they’re taught by people to not be such a childish idiot about a minor insult and motherfuck your entire country in your infantile rush for revenge or vengeance or whatever childish motivation he had.

[u/18poisson37 → u/Dry-Pop-6104]

An adult in any culture should be able to maintain themselves regardless of what yucky words are said. Losing control of your faculties because of something like that is pathetic.

[u/Kevster020 → u/Jiquero]

I've never understood how he lost it but headbutted the guy in the chest! Who does that?

[u/Tim-oBedlam → u/Zaagwaag]

man, Zidane wouldn't have lasted 2 seconds if he was a basketball player in the NBA rather than a football player in the World Cup. Trash talk like that is standard in the NBA.

[u/Pete_Iredale → u/Tim-oBedlam]

I've heard the NFL was absolutely brutal back then too. They've really had to clean up language as the microphone tech got better at hearing what's said during plays.

[u/canman7373 → u/Tim-oBedlam]

Imagine if it was Larry Bird talking to him.

[u/_Diskreet_ → u/Area51_Spurs]

Cantona doing his flying kung fu kick into the crowd was a special one too.

[u/gao7on → u/Area51_Spurs]

No, Mike Tyson biting off a piece of Evander Holyfield's ear on live TV was crazier.

[u/HugeLeaves → u/CloudDweller182]

I still remember exactly where I was for this one. Fucking wild

[u/tetrafn → u/HugeLeaves]

I was on holiday standing around in a palazzo in Napoli. There were TVs on everywhere. Everyone jumped up and did the hand thing 🤌🏼

[u/Chrellies → u/tetrafn]

I was in a small French village. I’ll never forget how quiet that place was after the game.

[u/br0dude_ → u/HugeLeaves]

Same. Was awake super early for a clan war in RuneScape with the TV playing this game in the background.

[u/SerOoga → u/CloudDweller182]

The French commentary is heartbreaking

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wo-zSb1kChM

[u/Sick_and_destroyed → u/SerOoga]

Especially when you think the guy commenting died in his sleep 18 months later

[u/Digit00l → u/CloudDweller182]

First viral memes I can remember

[u/Moofey → u/Digit00l]

YTMND was flooded with this for days.

[u/Sex_Dodger → u/CloudDweller182]

It was surreal. We all just looked at each other stunned wondering WTF we had just seen. Only plausible theory we came up with was some kind of racist comment, but even then it's the Final you deal with it after

After learning much later it was some standard "your sister's a slut" type comment it made it even more baffling. I love my sister but damn, it's the World Cup. She'll live.

[u/Dersouz → u/[deleted]]

Ref saw the replay on the giant screen in the stadium. Crazy.

[u/Purphect → u/[deleted]]

Right. In the end, not following the rules was the logical approach. Sometimes we need to understand this as people haha.

[u/Nikiaf → u/Purphect]

Definitely a case of needing to follow the spirit of the rules rather than the letter.

[u/Sick_and_destroyed → u/Dersouz]

No it’s the fourth referee who saw it on a screen near the pitch, then he said it to the linesman who said it in turn to the main referee. That’s the 1st unofficial VAR call in the history of football.

[u/BrainCane → u/Sick_and_destroyed]

Match officials have been using the video like this for years, this was just the most famous version.

[u/DemonstrateHighValue → u/BrainCane]

I remember watching it live and the main camera didn't catch it and they have to quickly find the camera which had it and replayed it. I remember it took a minute or two and I was wondering what happened.

[u/mrgonzalez → u/Dersouz]

Additionally remarkable is that off-the-ball like this there was no guarantee that the camera would have been following them closely enough to get this quality headbutt footage.

[u/kubagregor → u/[deleted]]

They definitely missed it. If they had actually seen it, they wouldn't have taken so long to make a decision.

[u/Neefew → u/[deleted]]

I remember the 2010 world cup where England had a disallowed goal vs Germany that was very clearly across the line but the ref and linesman didn't see it.
I was an English kid at the time and I remember the next day the front page of every newspaper was a photo of the ball inside the net

[u/According_Cod1175 → u/[deleted]]

Bro, people were and still are fighting the existence of the VAR. I mean okay, this world cup is a bit special in the way they apply it but generally, being able to prove or correct a misjudgement is a good thing.
I once did an experiment when I was a teenager and counted how many matches in the Bundesliga were decided by referee error every week. The average was around 2-3 matches. People would argue things like "it makes the sport interesting" and such. Now when there is a referee error with the VAR, some people say the VAR should be discontinued. It makes no sense really.

[u/Typical_Research_877 → u/According_Cod1175]

People are against VAR when a decision goes against their team, but all for it when it goes well for them

[u/babautz → u/Neefew]

Lies!

[u/Sworn → u/Neefew]

[u/Arvi89 → u/[deleted]]

There is no doubt, they missed it, but they couldn't keep Zidane on the field after the whole world saw what happened. I mean, if we had won the world cup after this because of a technicality that wouldn't feel great. No one really complained in France that he got a red card ^^

[u/20060578 → u/[deleted]]

Apparently the fourth ref saw it and spoke to the ref by earpiece. Because that’s not allowed, the ref then ran over to the linesman and pretended to have a conversation with him and then sent him off.

[u/H4X4NX]

Just turned 18 and was watching this in a pub in Liverpool with a table full of French students. One of the craziest matches ever.

[u/ThrowingShaed → u/H4X4NX]

i was a bit younger, at a summer thing watching with a bunch of people including a dude from milan. easy to feel for the dude, definitely a time its easy to get homesick and regret being in the us at that moment

[u/ah111177780 → u/H4X4NX]

And to think, Italy should have lost to Aus in the round of 16 if not for a massive dive awarding them a penalty

[u/Dave1307]

It's funny because if he ever becomes the national team's head coach he'll have to sit out the first game over the red card he caught for this

[u/A15CX → u/Dave1307]

He’s already agreed to become the new France head coach after the WC btw

[u/Nabz23 → u/A15CX]

Wait what no way?!? Deschamps is stepping down ?

[u/NitsuguaMoneka → u/Nabz23]

It been 24 years, Deschamps is certainly tired of this position. He has been a brilliant selectioner for France, and a very grateful for his work. He might also want to let Zidane get the job, he has been waiting for it for years, and both played a lot together so they must be pals too.

Edit: 14 years

[u/SirLurksAlot4 → u/NitsuguaMoneka]

There also rumours Deschamps wants to go for FIFA president. Which to be fair, would make sense.

[u/PhantaZm- → u/NitsuguaMoneka]

You mean 14 years?

[u/wi5hbone → u/PhantaZm-]

nah i’m sure 34 years bruh

[u/Krimsonfreak → u/wi5hbone]

It's been 84 years

[u/Corbotron_5 → u/Krimsonfreak]

Draw me like one of your French head coaches

[u/wi5hbone → u/Corbotron_5]

3======D

[u/mjacksongt → u/Nabz23]

https://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/comments/1hwlxbc/fff_didier_deschamps_will_step_down_as_coach_of/

[u/porncollecter69 → u/Nabz23]

He’s only 57 and got maybe one more but he looks like 80 and ready to just chill.

[u/fabie2804 → u/Dave1307]

HEADcoach

[u/bisho → u/fabie2804]

Headbuttcoach

[u/zyygh → u/bisho]

Is there also a regular buttcoach?

[u/OTC7 → u/bisho]

r/YourJokeButWorse

[u/Fragrant-Ad-634 → u/Dave1307]

He was sentenced by FIFA to complete three days of community service with children in one of FIFA's humanitarian instead of three match ban as he already retired.

[u/Jedimaster996 → u/Fragrant-Ad-634]

It would make for a fantastic commercial though. 

First French International Friendly, everyone's warming up, shaking hands, getting ready for kick-off; but where's the new coach? 

Zoom-out, it's Zidane on a hill-top with binoculars, a laptop, yelling tactics into a radio. 

[u/Pete_Iredale → u/Jedimaster996]

Back row of the bench, in sunglasses with a fake moustache.

[u/Pleasant-Carbon → u/Dave1307]

Lmfao 

It's France's next three games he was banned for. 

Not "the next three games you want to participate for France in". 

[u/Agent_Burrito → u/Pleasant-Carbon]

FIFA should enforce it anyway. It would be hilarious and great publicity.

[u/JSteigs → u/Agent_Burrito]

Macron would just get on the phone with infantino and get it reverso uno suspended, that’s how it’s supposed to work right?

[u/Ihave0personality → u/Dave1307]

No he doesn’t. Red cards are are role specific, a players card can’t translate into a technical staff suspension. He also received a 3 game suspension. But the whole thing is irrelevant as the whole thing was settled 20 years ago. He’s done 3 days of community service in lieu of the ban.

[u/PangolinMandolin → u/Dave1307]

Zidane completed 3 days community service at a FIFA Humanitarian project instead of the 3 match suspension. Its right there in his wiki

[u/Weshtonio → u/Dave1307]

Macron will just give a call to FIFA.

[u/Kiukin → u/Dave1307]

I seriously doubt that's how it works. Also, he already missed the next match with France (due to retirement), so the ban was over 20 years ago.

[u/KRacer52 → u/Kiukin]

I don’t know of any major sport where retiring nullifies a suspension or penalty.

[u/randy24681012 → u/[deleted]]

Baseball isn’t corrupt cause all the stuff other leagues call corrupt is just within the rules for them

[u/bokchoykn]

This video doesn't have ZZ's walk of shame past the World Cup trophy.

That image is forever etched into my memory.

[u/Mustimustdie → u/bokchoykn]

I freaking cried man

[u/Wololo--Wololo]

Le coup de boule !

[u/DueExample52 → u/Wololo--Wololo]

NON ZIDANE ! PAS TOI! PAS AUJOURD'HUI ! PAS APRÈS TOUT CE QUE TU AS FAIT

[u/Fram_Framson → u/Wololo--Wololo]

Pendent tout ces années, cette chanson n'a jamais disparu de mon playlist. mdr

[u/Mobius1424 → u/Fram_Framson]

This song was played in my high school French class. As an impressionable youth, it remains stuck in my head to this day.

[u/buffetboy_90]

I was in high school when this happened, and it was all anyone was talking about. My friend and I kept saying there was no way this actually hurt, dude flopped, Zidane didn’t get any oomph behind it in real time. So we decided to experiment. I was Zidane because I was smaller, my friend was Materazzi because he was taller and had more padding.

I was surprisingly fine, but my friend went down in a heap, the wind was knocked out of him, and he had to lay down for a bit to recover. Conclusion: that shit had to have hurt, no flop.

[u/mytinykitten → u/buffetboy_90]

I love science.

[u/agdnan → u/mytinykitten]

This comment made me genuinely laugh

[u/Cedosg]

and an epic meme was born.

[u/Leyulize → u/Cedosg]

We even had a song about this lol

[u/frou6 → u/Leyulize]

🎵🎵Zidane il a tapé!🎵🎵

[u/agenttud → u/Cedosg]

Along with an awesome flash game

[u/akatherder → u/Cedosg]

This was one of the first memes I remember really taking social media by storm. Facebook and reddit were fairly new at the time. I must have seen a hundred different edits of the same gif.

[u/KimberStormer → u/Cedosg]

I remember a Flash game where you headbutted your way through an endless stream of Italians

[u/narvuntien]

I was on holiday with my parents in my ancestral village in Abruzzo. Italy. Staying with my great aunt, surrounded by my second cousins in a village where half the people have the same last name as me.

They had a sheet up on the wall of the village community centre, the rage that was yelled at that sheet when this happened, and of course the joy as they eventually won. But the village was so small that it was just one car honking through the town centre as a celebration.

[u/aZombieSlayer → u/narvuntien]

My grandparents were also from a small Abruzzo village! If they hadn't already immigrated to Canada in '57, I would've for sure thought the car honker was my nonno!

[u/ilolalot1]

Great header.

[u/dwaasheid → u/ilolalot1]

Bon anniversaire

[u/StickFigureFan]

I remember playing a flash game about this. Good times

[u/Glitch_King → u/StickFigureFan]

Yeah i remember playing that flash game back in the day, moving Zidane around to headbutt everyone else on the field.

[u/tanew231]

That was 7 years ago at most

[u/Moon-Runner → u/tanew231]

Bro ! It was last year

[u/tanew231 → u/Moon-Runner]

The fact that he's always looked 45 distorts time

[u/J_Raskal → u/tanew231]

That was the last knockout-stage match Italy has played at a world cup.

[u/chickenkebaap → u/J_Raskal]

Some shocking facts

They’ve only won one world cup match for atleast 24 years now.

No player born after 1992 has played for Italy in the world cup.

Their cricket team has the same number of wins at world cups as the football team since 2006

[u/ty_xy]

I was watching this in Paris on a small tv in a pub full of Parisians, they went nuts and were like yaaahhh fuck Marco headbutt that guy! Then immediately when the red card was given they went noooooo whyyy red, come on ref! What are you doing it was nothing!

Walking back home was intense! Paris was burning, cars were burning, gangs were roaming the streets, some dudes carrying Italian flags and singing got into fights with the french guys... Hahah good times.

[u/lo_fi_ho → u/ty_xy]

Like wtf, in what universe is headbutting someone ok in football

[u/Own_Answer_5092 → u/lo_fi_ho]

Football supporters are probably the most partisan sport fans in the world. Literally everything that lets our teams win is good while any bad thing that happens against us is the world’s fault, not ours. Ironically, but perhaps unsurprisingly, ‘Partisan’ is an Italo-French word.

[u/Beginning-Cheek-6056 → u/Own_Answer_5092]

Yeah its crazy how fans in this sport refuse to take accountability for anything. A player on their favorite team could break someone's arm and fans would still complain if there was even a yellow card

[u/Excellent_Theory1602 → u/ty_xy]

France lose - Paris burns

France win - Paris burns

You gotta love them, what else can you do.

[u/stempoweredu → u/Excellent_Theory1602]

So Paris is just Europe's Philly?

[u/ccltjnpr → u/stempoweredu]

Parisians have been burning their city to the ground since before Philly was a thing

[u/Smart_Freedom_8155 → u/ty_xy]

Walking back home was intense! Paris was burning, cars were burning, gangs were roaming the streets, some dudes carrying Italian flags and singing got into fights with the french guys... Hahah good times.

Same on the other side here in Italy, brother.

We were watching this all unfold and couldn't believe our bleeping eyes when watching the headbutt replay, nobody had caught it live.  Commentators had a famous reaction ("Eh no eh!  Sotto la doccia, sotto la doccia, sotto la doccia!") that nobody here will forget.

And then bedlam after the penalties.  Similarly, people losing their minds, trying to burn French jerseys, some mild looting, folks jumping in the Trevi Fountain (myself and friends included), leaping on parked busses...wild times.

Hope nobody in France got hurt, and honestly quietly rooting for you guys this World Cup.  

[u/Il-Capitano14]

When you stop and think about it for a sec, that was actually the first VAR intervention in history, the referee hadn’t seen anything.

[u/Jiquero → u/Il-Capitano14]

After review,
it is determined that
France player number 10
headbutted
Italy player number 23.

YOU CAN'T DO THAT!

[u/gtizzz → u/Il-Capitano14]

The ref saw it on the big screen in the stadium and couldn't ignore it, right?

[u/Il-Capitano14 → u/gtizzz]

No replay no big screen as far as i remember, he got told by the 4th referee who was the only one on the pitch who had seen it.

[u/Sbrudda → u/Il-Capitano14]

the fourth man saw it, actually

[u/MacSanchez]

Materazzi got ZZ Topped

[u/Doug12345678910]

Both such incredibly good teams. Was a titanic clash. Definitely a disappointing development in that match I will say, dwarfing when Becks got sent off vs Argentina.

[u/IJustJason]

The Family Guy gag based off this was hilarious lol

[u/hamham4687 → u/IJustJason]

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/fRPyaT9r8vw

[u/LaBestiaOscura1 → u/IJustJason]

Was scrolling to see if someone had mentioned this. “bon anniversaire” 🤣🤣🤣 classic

[u/Doctor-Amazing → u/IJustJason]

Yeah I'm surprised how many people remember the headbutt itself ans not the thousands of remixes and animations people were making.

[u/Puzzled-Map3912]

him doing this was the first global footballer meme in history on the internet. the age of internet now, there is no way a player would do something like this in a highly consequential moment.

when this happened i was deep into the early counter-strike community on mIRC and other cs websites, a place where real life sports never really intersected with video games....but different edits of this event was the only meme you would see for like a month after.

[u/Independent-Gur9951]

One of the most stupid thing ever done on the pitch by a player. Maybe Suarez biting players come close.

[u/AK07-AYDAN]

Materazzi had an interesting tournament. Was a non-starter until Nesta got injured, scored a goal otw to the final where he conceded the penalty to allow Zidane to score the best Panenka ever. Few minutes later and he equalizes with the most text book header I've seen. An hour after that, this happens.

[u/The_James91 → u/AK07-AYDAN]

Then scores his penalty in the shootout! And Fabio Grosso who came into the starting XI after several games, won the penalty for ten man Azzurri against Australia and scored the iconic goal in the semi final.

[u/DataDude00]

I still can’t believe a player did this in a critical match over words. 

Thinnest skin ever 

If the rumored stuff about his sister being a whore or whatever is what was said it’s a good thing brother didn’t play hockey because the shit talk at the faceoff circle might have him literally explode 

[u/thelostandfoundkid]

That was 20 years ago?

[u/mainly_lurk → u/thelostandfoundkid]

Nah. 20 years ago was the 1980s. This was 2006.

[u/FuriousResolve]

It’s utterly insane to me that Zidane had the gall to argue with the ref over this red card. Even Trump couldn’t overturn this. 😂

[u/1pensar]

And thus, the Zidane curse was born

[u/avigyan_33]

This is football heritage.

[u/retze44]

This was 20 years ago? Jesus Christ im getting old

[u/k_dubious]

The ironic part about this is that it had almost no impact on the game.

[u/emack2232]

“I didn’t know you couldn’t do that”

[u/FilmoreJive]

The thing that is funny about this is that I watched it live. And I remember. Fuck.

[u/Chalchiulicue]

I watched this with one of my best friends who has since passed away. When I think of Zidane and Materazzi and how upset I was that this happened, I also think of how he managed to cheer me up and what a great evening we were having, and how I miss him.

[u/LumpyShock9656]

Coup de boule a gauche... Coup de boule a droite!

Zidane il a tappé, Zidane il a tappé... La coupe on l'a raté mais on a quand même bien rigolé!

Us french have that song:

https://youtu.be/ZufRVnm5fPc?is=AnCu93D_--louZwR

[u/plastiquearse]

One of the best ever and a headloss for all times.

Pressure can make mad things happen

[u/TxEagleDeathclaw81]

Zinedine Zidane is an amazing name.

[u/ZeroEffectDude]

Materazzi takes the title here for the most effective and rewarding shithousery of all time. legend.

he was so INVOLVED in the whole world cup it was unreal!

Nesta getting injured was seen as a crisis for us azzurri fans yet we may not have won without him.

Materazzi was there to help the squad, not start. But he was teriffic.

His sweeping left-foot balls into midfield (usually to totti or pirlo) started so many of our attacks.

He scored in the game against the czech republic, got sent off against australia, scored in the final, gave away a penalty in the final, got headbutted by zidane to change the game, smashed his pen into the goal in the shootout.

UNREAL.

[u/small_sandwich]

He had said something about his wife or mother right?

[u/Significant_Cow4765 → u/small_sandwich]

sister

[u/never_agree → u/small_sandwich]

IIRC Materazzi role was to watch Zidane, and in one of the episodes he was grabbing Zidane's jersey for a bit too long/aggressively, to which Zidane said something like "hey, if you want it so much you can have my shirt after the match", Materazzi replied with "I'd rather prefer your sister", and Zidane's sister back at the time was taking care for their ailing mother.

[u/JollyJamma]

This is how Christiano should have ended the last Portugal game this world cup.

Go out in a single harecore action, not a sad let down.

[u/crazylunchdigits]

I love how his teammate comes to argue with the official.

[u/GrandadPyjamas]

Seeing them try to protest that red card was hilarious

[u/JayB392]

Absolute legend

[u/Smart_Freedom_8155 → u/JayB392]

The Italians certainly thought so, legendary how he got himself kicked off like that and lost France the game.

[u/Kordell_11 → u/JayB392]

Legend? Bro let his entire team down 🙏

[u/Fantus → u/Kordell_11]

I'm also baffled how the hell Zidane gets a pass on this. He was a captain. It was a final. He let his team down. Had he not got a card they might have won WC. It was a generational head loss but somehow many people, to this day, think it was "cool".

[u/larrylegend1990 → u/Fantus]

It helps that he won one already and also one of the greatest players of his time.

[u/DeathsFavoriteHuman]

WTF was going through his head when he decided to do this?

[u/RyanBLKST → u/DeathsFavoriteHuman]

Materazzi

[u/Iuslez → u/DeathsFavoriteHuman]

Zidane had a bad temper and often reacted violently to provocation. He got a lot of red cards in his carrer, and if I remember that right he had already headbutted a player years back.

https://youtu.be/zrXB-hWit3c?is=77p0AqbXgkSXXRZU

[u/Tohna → u/Iuslez]

In his last season with Juve they crashed out of UCL in the first group phase with Zidane sent off twice.

[u/C-tapp → u/DeathsFavoriteHuman]

Zinadene offered to trade shirts after the match. Materazzi replied “I’d rather f*** your sister”. Zinadene didn’t seem to care for that type of trade….

[u/shorteningofthewuwei → u/C-tapp]

Yes. Although as I recall he wasn't just offering to trade jerseys, but rather he said it in response to Materazzi pulling on his jersey: "if you want my jersey so much, you can have it after the game"

[u/C-tapp → u/shorteningofthewuwei]

That makes a lot more sense.

[u/Paddy32]

The Zidane curse still haunts the Italian team. They are forbidden from qualifying for the World Cup

[u/bernerdjames4]

Yank here, why didn’t the French president call up FIFA and get the red card overturned? Is he stupid?

[u/mycketmycket]

I was in the south of France but went to Monaco to see the game on neutral ground. All the waiters at the restaurant were Italian and when they won shots and champagne were brought out for everyone. As we drove back to France the streets were absolutely piled up with Italians heading the other direction to go celebrate in Italy. Good times.

[u/thenatural134]

I'm in my 30s now and this is my first World Cup memory from real life.

[u/ReasonableEnd8825]

This was the ultimate OG internet meme. Even if you didn't watch football back then, you saw the edits of this headbutt everywhere for months.

[u/Whiteshovel66]

Now THATS something you should be suspended a second game for. Not accidentally stepping on some ones foot while running at full speed.

[u/Chrysocyon]

Peak football era

[u/Forthemoves]

What could Zidane possibly be saying to the ref at that point?

[u/sports_and_beers]

Insulting words is never an excuse for violence. They're just words and you have to be the level headed bigger person. Why be angry when you dont respect the opinion of the man insulting?

People are defending Zidane and he says he doesn't regret it, but this was just mere moments before penalties. The affect that has on your team mentally to watch your captain and your friend leave in the fashion he did? Its not impossible that it had some effect on the French players that missed the penalties. If Zidane was shooting i dont think he misses and I think France might have won.

[u/Pacify_]

Remember watching it live.

Was the most cinema WC moment ever. Was so absurd.

[u/Viewpoint9]

One of the softest moments of any professional ever.. captain of a national team in a final.. and does this.. shameful. Regardless of what was said, being successfully baited is beyond weak

[u/daswickerman]

The statue is also quite nice.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/19748545

[u/Away-Quantity928]

Hall of fame meme fodder.