Materazzi still irked by Zidane’s headbutt Italian defender Marco Materazzi says he’s still so angry over Zinedine Zidane’s headbutt in the 2006 World Cup final that he won’t even watch this year’s tournament in South Africa.
Instead, Materazzi says he’ll be touring the United States with friends and family in a motorhome when the World Cup kicks off in June in Johannesburg.
Materazzi told La Repubblica on Monday he’s still waiting for Zidane to apologize.
Zidane said he headbutted Materazzi in extra time after he insulted his sister. Zidane was sent off and Italy went on to win the title in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw.
Materazzi told the newspaper the headbutt, as well as Thierry Henry’s hand ball against Ireland that sent France to a fourth consecutive World Cup appearance at Ireland’s expense, showed the “disgusting” side of football.
He said he was particularly incensed that while he was disciplined for alleged unsporting behavior in 2006, Henry hasn’t been sanctioned in any way.
“I was treated like a delinquent: After Berlin they wouldn’t even let me go on vacation for two days so they could question me,” he was quoted as saying.
Materazzi stressed that he idolized Henry and that the handball was an instinctive mistake. But he added: “If you’re talking fair play, there’s a precedent—mine—and so they should have taken measures against Henry. But instead, I see they didn’t even bring him in to question him.”
Earlier this year, Materazzi extended his contract with Inter Milan until 2012.