Materazzi breaks silence over Zidane head-butt 05/09/2006 00:00

ROME, Sept 5, 2006 (AFP) - Italy defender Marco Materazzi has broken his silence over the verbal exchange that led to his violent World Cup final clash with French star Zinédine Zidane.

Materazzi was sent crashing to the turf by a Zidane head-butt near the end of extra-time of the July 9 final in Berlin following a verbal altercation.

Mystery has surrounded the exact nature of the abuse directed at Zidane by Materazzi ever since the incident, which subsequently earned the Inter Milan centre-half a two-match ban from world governing body FIFA.

But in an interview with the Gazzetta dello Sport here Tuesday, Materazzi revealed it was a remark he made about Zidane's sister that provoked the French captain's moment of madness.

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."

Materazzi insisted however that he should not blamed for sparking the incident. "I did not cause it," he told Gazzetta. "I answered verbally with a provocation to defend myself.

"Yes, I was tugging his shirt, but when he said to me scornfully 'If you want my shirt so much I'll give it to you afterwards,' is that not a provocation? I answered that I'd prefer his sister, it's true.

"It's not a particularly nice thing to say, I recognise that. But loads of players say worse things ... I didn't even know he had a sister before all this happened," added Materazzi, who is suspended for Italy's Euro 2008 qualifying rematch with France in Paris on Wednesday.

Zidane was given a three-match ban for his part in the spat, but as he had retired from football he was made to do three days of community service instead.

Materazzi said he would have been happy to do three years of community service if it meant he could play against France on Wednesday before criticising FIFA for what he felt was favouritism shown towards Zidane.

"I only know that I was the one head-butted and I got a two-match ban," said the Inter Milan defender.

"I would have done three months or even three years of community service to be on the pitch at Saint Denis. But I definitely count less than Zidane."

Zidane has never specified what Materazzi said to him and has pointedly refused to apologise to his opponent.

Asked on July 12 what exactly Materazzi had said, Zidane would only offer that it was "very personal and concerned his mother and his sister."

"You hear those things once and you try to walk away. That's what I wanted to do because I am retiring. You hear it a second time and then a third time ..."

Copyright AFP

Subject: French news