[Warchant]

ROME (AP) - Marco Materazzi has finally revealed what he said in the World Cup final that provoked Zinedine Zidane into head-butting him in the chest.

Materazzi says that after he held his opponent's shirt, Zidane said: "If you want, I'll give you the jersey later."

In Tuesday's interview with the Gazzetta dello Sport, Materazzi said, "I responded that I preferred his sister, it's true. It wasn't something nice, true. But luckily there have been dozens of players who have confirmed that a lot worse things are said on the field."

The Italy defender received a two-game ban for the July 9 incident and will miss Wednesday's rematch of the final, a 2008 European Championship qualifier.

Zidane received a three-match suspension, but the punishment was moot because he retired after the World Cup.

Materazzi said that the Italian federation, in the middle of the match-fixing scandal, told him not to complain during a FIFA hearing over the incident.

"If accepting (the ban) without raising my voice was the price to pay for having brought home the World Cup, I'm pretty happy to have paid it," Materazzi said.

Asked whether it would ever be possible for the pair to make peace, Materazzi said, "You sign a peace (agreement) after terrible wars, so why can't Zidane and I make peace?

"A peace among men, without a lot of publicity," Materazzi said. "The door to my house will always be open for that. And if Zidane wants, he knows where to find my address."

France captain Patrick Vieira thinks the apologies should go both ways.

"I think Zidane is waiting for Materazzi to apologize also for the insults he used," Vieira said in Clairefontaine, France.

Vieira, who is Materazzi's teammate at Inter Milan, said he chatted with the Italy defender before leaving to join the France squad.

"He told me he is disappointed not to be here," Vieira said. "He's a very cheerful guy, but he loves to wind people up. Sometimes you need to know when to stop.

i think it's kinda funny

[misha]

Players trashing each other on the field all the time. It's not a big deal

[dst]

i think it's kinda funny

in a way ...
what I was sure about is that he could never have said anything like 'terrorist' to Zidane; Matrix is just too stupid to think of something like that!!!

I think Zidane reacted under pressure ... he definetely has heard worse things than "I'd prefer your sisiter"!!! Also what he told Marco was too arrogant IMO!!!

[misha]

Gennaro Gattuso, the Italy midfielder is one of the more fiery members of the World Cup-winning squad and thinks FIFA set a bad precedent by punishing a player for verbal provocation.

"What do I have to do - tie my tongue?" Gattuso said Monday, two days before Italy travels to France for a rematch of the final. "Materazzi should be playing in this game."

But Materazzi will be serving the second of his two-game ban, having also sat out Italy's 1-1 draw with Lithuania on Saturday to open its 2008 European Championship qualifying campaign.

"There was too much attention put on the Zidane-Materazzi case," Gattuso said. "I think, if anything, the real controversy should have been that Materazzi was banned for two games."

Zidane received a three-match suspension for head-butting Materazzi in the chest, but the punishment was moot because Zidane retired after the World Cup.

"When we lost the European Championship 10 seconds from the end we didn't create this type of controversy," Gattuso said, referring to Italy's golden-goal loss in the 2000 final. "I know we usually complain after losses, but they do it even more. Italy is second to France in that."

link

[Costacurta]

Well, I don't think what Zidane said can be taken as provocative, its just like offering a player your shirt, like thye'll all swap at the end. Either way, what Meterazzi fired back with was nothing to write home about. Zidane badly over-rected and paid the price.

My views on Materazzi have changed considerably. I still think hes a thug and stuff, but as a defender, I think he acquitted himself brilliantly. He did so well 2 fill Nesta's shoes, which was a tough job. His value is obv lesssended due to the red cards and stuff, but as a defender, he is of a higher calibre than i thought.

[dudernahata]

zidane shouldnt hae reacted like that. things like that get said on the pitch all game.

[dst]

Matrix-Zizou set for peace?
Monday 11 September, 2006

FIFA are ready to fly Marco Materazzi and Zinedine Zidane to South Africa in an attempt for the two players to archive their World Cup Final spat.

Zidane was sent off in the defeat to Italy for head-butting the Inter defender in the chest after the latter verbally abused the playmaker.

Although the Frenchman has insisted that he has no intention of apologising to Matrix, FIFA President Sepp Blatter has other ideas.

In what would be one of the oddest reconciliation stunts of all time, Blatter wants the two men to make peace at the South African prison where Nelson Mandela was held.

"We are working on bringing together Materazzi and Zidane," Blatter stated.

"There are different possibilities and one of them is Robben Island in South Africa where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years.

"This would bring to an end this story between Materazzi and Zidane," continued the official.

"It is a pity that the World Cup ended with a red card and also by taking kicks from the penalty spot, but we have no other solution."

Zidane was banned for three games and handed a community service sentence as punishment for his antics. Materazzi was given a two-game stop.

It’s understood that the Robben Island venue was suggested by Tokyo Sexwale, a former inmate, who is now part of the 2010 South African World Cup committee.


Football Italia

[dst]

South Africa!!!??? the place where peace lies ... (IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

[X-Offender]

"It is a pity that the World Cup ended with a red card and also by taking kicks from the penalty spot, but we have no other solution."

What's so bad in that? (IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/huh.gif)

It’s understood that the Robben Island venue was suggested by Tokyo Sexwale, a former inmate, who is now part of the 2010 South African World Cup committee.

Woah, I thought it was Sex-whale! (IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

[dst]

What's so bad in that? (IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/huh.gif)

yes I think it makes it more special ... (IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif) Blatter probably meant that he did not manage to find a way to end it in France's favour (IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

[DvZ]

i dont find any reason why FIFA should fly these people; just to get them made peace.. let them to do it by themselves.. they're adults, and have a brain + loads of money!

why made this incidence special? oh! i forget, because if involves the 'great' Zidane..

there's a lot of other things for FIFa to settle rather than wasting time with this small issue