Zinedine Zidane happy he was punished for head-butt

Former French midfielder and 1998 World Cup title winner Zinedine Zidane says he is glad he did not had to live with regret over escaping punishment for his head-butt in the 2006 World Cup final, won by the Italians.

Zidane was red carded for head-butting Italy defender Marco Materazzi in the world cup final, the last match of his career and he watched Italy finished the game as 5-3 penalty kicks world champions after both sides played to a 1-1 draw in regular time.

“It (the sending off) was a very good thing,” the former Real Madrid and Juventus playmaker told France Football magazine in an interview released on Tuesday.

“It’s good that (Italian keeper Gianluigi) Buffon signalled what I had done to the referee because it was not pretty. I don’t know how I could have lived with it had France become world champions and I had stayed on the pitch.”

Zidane thought there had been an overreaction to Thierry Henry’s handball that led to France beating Ireland in November and securing a 2010 World Cup place.

“Many people outside football got involved, people who love you when you lift trophies and let you down when things go wrong. I’m certain Henry is not proud of his gesture.”

By Andrew Carter, World-Track Global