World Cup 2006: Zizou and the Anti-Racist Headbutt Heard Round the World

In an engrossing World Cup 2006 final, Italy beat France on a 5-3 penalty shoot-out to resolve the 1-1 tie, only ten minutes after French football legend Zinedine "Zizou" Zidane was ejected after a vicious headbutt to the chest of Italian defender Marco Materazzi, leaving France fans and enthusiasts of the sport wondering what on earth had provoked the elegant master to such a blatant act.

Zizou and the Anti-Racist Headbutt Heard Round the World

by Tom Joad

In an engrossing World Cup 2006 final, Italy beat France on a 5-3 penalty shoot-out to resolve the 1-1 tie, only ten minutes after French football legend Zinedine "Zizou" Zidane was ejected after a vicious headbutt to the chest of Italian defender Marco Materazzi, leaving France fans and enthusiasts of the sport wondering what on earth had provoked the elegant master to such a blatant act.

Play began fast-paced and aggressive, with the first goal scored by Zidane in the 10th minute on a penalty kick against Italy. What followed was a sharp battle between France's midfield, exemplified by Zidane's elegant control, and Italy's defense, embodied in the hard style of defensive midfielder/winger Gennaro Gattuso, nicknamed "Ringhio," or "the Snarler." Marco Materazzi soon tied with a header on French goalie Fabien Barthez. A header for Italy by Luca Toni was adjusted as offsides and not counted.

A "moment of madness"

The truly defining moment of the game, however, came not from a goal, but in the 110th minute. With France's offensive anchors Thierry Henry, Franck Ribery and Patrick Vieira substituted out of play on injuries or from fatigue, a brief verbal exchange flared up between Zidane and Italy defender Marco Materazzi.

Immediately afterward and almost inexplicably, France's star midfielder, and perhaps last hope for winning the cup outright, unleashed a savage headbutt to Materazzi's chest, sending Materazzi sprawling to the pitch.

Referee Horacio Elizondo, after being informed by an assistant referee of the incident, had no choice but to red card Zidane, ejecting a man who is regarded by many as the greatest soccer player of his generation.

"When one has to put up with what Zidane had to..."

Growing up poor and Algerian in the housing projects of Marseilles, Zidane's anti-racism was a natural instinct reinforced by his close sense of family: his father once spent a good chunk of his salary to buy Zinedine boots. Zidane himself describes his upbringing as "hard but fair, which taught me respect, humility, sharing."

On the field, his style reflects the rough streets he learned to play on, both for its effortless, fluid creativity and for its sometimes violent moments: in the past Zidane was twice red carded in matches after striking opposing players who taunted him either for his religion and Algerian descent or for his current French citizenship.

Zidane's teammates have also had to deal with racism and bigotry face to face in their careers. France and Arsenal striker Thierry Henry helped found an anti-racist campaign along with players like Brazil/Real Madrid's Ronaldo, Brazil/FC Barcelona's Ronaldinho and Netherlands/Manchester United's Ruud van Nistelrooy after Spanish fans notoriously threw bananas onto the field at black England players while making monkey noises in 2004. French midfielder Franck Ribery is a muslim, Patrick Vieira is of Senegalese descent and defender Eric Abidal's parents are from Martinique. In fact, sixteen out of twenty-three of France's 2006 World Cup squad are people of color.

Zidane's commitment to fight racism in football was expressed in a joint statement with Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro recently where he said, "There is no place for racism...The values conveyed by football are the exact opposite of racism...Every four years we experience a unique time in which people congregate together, take part together and celebrate together. Racists are not invited."

After the now infamous headbutt in the 110th minute of the 2006 final, French coach Raymond Domenech suggested that Materazzi had been taunting Zidane the whole game, saying, "Materrazzi is the man of the match, not Andrea Pirlo...When one has to put up with what Zidane had to and the referee doesn't do anything, one understands. You can't excuse it, but you can understand it."

French players allege that Materazzi used racial slurs in the brief exchange before Zidane headbutted him to the ground, which Materazzi denies.

Materazzi himself has played for a number of minor Italian clubs in the past, but most recently with Everton and now Inter Milan. Never the center of racist incidents in the past, his critics persist, citing his family connection to racism in soccer: his father Giuseppe managed the notoriously right-wing, racist Italian club S.S. Lazio. In 2000, England players received racist threats and chants from Lazio fans and Lazio players had even, until recently, openly used the fascist stiff-arm salute at games.

But for the moment, Zizou is silent.

What was meant to be the crowning victory and dignified retirement of his career has instead been turned into professional shame, national disappointment and a heartfelt sadness at the turn of events for such a great player.

In the 1998 World Cup quarter-final match versus Italy, French manager Aime Jacquet told Zidane, "Zizou, the French team is not you, and you don't represent the French team. Think hard about those words," then adding, "But it's you who can make us win."

Those words may come back to him bitterly now.

Still, the act itself was intentional, and if indeed Materazzi used a racial slur -- as it appears he had (what else could have motivated such a consumate, seasoned athlete as Zidane to lash out in that manner?) -- then a choice had to be made, there and at that moment by Zidane.

Either ignore it and press on with the game, perhaps winning the cup but allowing the comment to stand (yet another racist comment, yet again), or, act immediately to put a racist in check, personally, and put principles above winning the game, even the World Cup.

Zidane's choice and its consequences -- which almost certainly sealed France's fate on penalty kicks -- did not stray very far from his egalitarian definition of the principles of football. There is simply no place for racism. That principle must be followed even if it jeopardizes the outcome of a match, even if it goes against one's own national affinities or allegiances.

Or forever tarnishes the legacy of one of soccer's all time greatest players.

For now, Italy fans celebrate the win.

Zidane may think about what else he could have done before that moment at the start of the last ten minutes of the final match of his career, even until the day that he dies. He may face recriminations, scorn, criticism, disbelief and dismay from commentators, fans and spectators, but Zidane need never doubt for one moment that it was unequivocably the right thing to do.

Sports stars are born of their statistics; legends are born of their principles, even in defeat.

Here's to Zizou and the most important header ever made in World Cup history.