Zinedine Zidane, now France’s head coach, spoke ahead of the match against Italy about headbutting Marco Materazzi in the World Cup final, which cost him his place in extra time.
His response was direct: “They’re not regrets, but it’s part of my career. I’m not proud of what happened. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again”.
He acknowledged that the images always remind him of it because they’re replayed over and over, although he pointed out that, fortunately, he didn’t only play in that final—he won the World Cup at home in 1998.
And he revealed something else: since that night in Germany, he hasn’t spoken to Materazzi again. The Italian had already said that they hadn’t spoken either and that he wasn’t looking for an apology, but would be open to a conversation.
Two world champions, one final, and two decades of silence. Do they deserve a long-overdue conversation?