ZIDANE: I`D RATHER
DIE THAN SAY SORRY
France legend Zinedine Zidane “would rather die” than
apologise to Marco Materazzi, who he headbutted during the 2006
World Cup final.
World football was left stunned when Zidane, in the last game of
his career, attacked Materazzi in extra time – an action which saw
the France captain duly dismissed.
Italy went on to win the World Cup in a penalty shoot-out and
while Zidane admits he regrets what he did, he insists he will
never apologise to Materazzi because of the insults against his
mother which he claims provoked the headbutt.
“Of course I reproach myself,” Zidane told El Pais. “But, if I
say ‘sorry’, I would also be admitting that what he himself did was
normal. And for me it was not normal.
“Things happen on the pitch. It’s happened to me many times. But
I could not stand it there. Because moreover…it is not an excuse.
But my mother was ill. She was in hospital. This people did not
know.
“But it was a bad time. More than once they insulted my mother
and I never responded. But there…and it happened. “And to apologise
for this…if it was Kaka, a regular guy, a good guy, of course I
would have apologised. But to this one…
“If I ask him forgiveness, I lack respect to myself and to all
those I hold dear with all my heart. “I apologise to football, to
the fans, to the team… After the game, I went into the dressing
room and told them, ‘Forgive me. This doesn’t change anything. But
sorry everyone’.
“But to him I cannot. Never, never…it would be to dishonour
me…I’d rather die. “There are evil people. And I don’t even want to
hear those guys speak.”
Zidane’s actions stunned the world as not only was the France
captain a footballing icon but he had also steered well away from
controversy during his distinguished career.
The 37-year-old lists two Serie A titles with Juventus and two
Primera Division titles and a Champions League with Real Madrid as
well as the 1998 World Cup among his trophy haul.
Zidane, who joined Real Madrid in their first ‘galacticos’ era,
is now special advisor to president Florentino Perez. And the
former midfielder has hailed Madrid’s latest crop of expensive
players – including world record buy Cristiano Ronaldo.
He said: “Cristiano Ronaldo wants to be the best. And he says
so. “It’s one thing to say it and another to do it. He says it and
then gets up early to go to training at eight in the morning, two
hours before scheduled. And he stays there six hours.
“People say he is a show-off, but he’s noble. A good lad and
worker. Playing every three days you can’t do silly things and he
knows it. “And if they jeer him, he doesn’t care. The opposite, he
likes it!”