Zindane regrets headbutt action in World Cup final

The France international, Real Madrid and Juventus legend Zinedine Zidane has opened up his heart to the fas of the games for the first timeafter the headbutt, and he admits his regret at the way he behaved during the World Cup final against Italy in 2006. Asked what had caused to react so violently, he said Materazzi had directed some “very hard words” at him. “You hear them once and you try to move away. But then you hear them twice, and then a third time,” said Zidane. “I am a man and some words are harder to hear than actions. I would rather have taken a blow to the face than hear that.”

His on-pitch battle with Marco Materazzi reached boiling point and Zidane let off steam by headbutting the Italian. The gesture shocked the world, and the former Bianconero says he regrets what he did on that ill-fated night in Berlin during the World Cup final match of 2006.

“I ended my career on a very sad note,” Zidane told Le Parisien. “At the time my mother was in hospital but I am not trying to justify my actions. I felt empty when I returned to the dressing room. It was not a nice end at all. “I was insulted but my reaction was not right. The provocation should have been punished. I don’t feel any injustice at all. It was not the thing to do.” Zidane also spoke about the days when taking creatine at Juventus was the norm. Many will remember the doping scandal which rocked the club ten years ago,
but Juve was cleared of any wrongdoing by the World Anti-Doping Agency. “Doping was a bad thing. We used to take creatine in Turin, it was illegal in France but not in Italy. I don’t think it was dangerous,” added Zidane.

Zidane is taking his time away from the game but he did hint at a possible coaching role in future. “Coaching? Not now but maybe in ten years I may consider it,” concluded the Frenchman. Zinedine Zidane’s career ended headbutt to Italy’s Marco Materazzi during the World Cup final 2006.