About Two Years Ago
Approximately two years ago, France and Italy met in the World Cup Final. I wrote the piece below after the game. Considering they'll meet again tonight in the Euro 2008 do-or-die group match, I repost it again below.
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Well, the world cup has ended about 4 days ago, and life's back to normal again. No more waking up in the early hours of the day to watch a game. I, as most football fans around Indonesia will be relieved that, our routine wont be disturbed.
But the after effect of the final is stil going strong. Not because of the game itself (which is not very good since only France who were going for the win while Italy defended with their lives), but what happened 10 minutes before the game's extra time ended.
When the referee was going to signal a freekick for the Italians, he was brought to attention by other players at Marco Materazzi, the Italian defender, who was lying on his back while holding his chest in pain. After the ref consulted his assistant, he sent off Zinedine Zidane, the French captain, who has been inspirational for his side in this tournament, for violent conduct. TV replays a few minutes after that shows that after exchanging a few words with Materazzi, Zidane crash his head to the Italian chest with some power.
This is the huge talking point after the game. Most newspapers printed this incident as their headlines. Football forums filled with comments on Zidane's action. Italy, who won the World Cup after beating France in penalty shoot-out, got some nice articles about their achievement, but nowhere near the intesity that Zidane's incident.
The incident has been polarizing football fans around the world. Zidane's skill is well respected in the football world as one of the best in the world. Many people would like to see him get a proper goodbye since the final is his last game before he retired from football this year. What would make him do that is the question that's been asked.
Rumours that come out from the French camp was Materazzi was making racist comments about Zidane's mother. Materazzi himself denied that he made racist comments, but doesn't go into detail of what he actually said. Zidane only said in his latest press release that Materazzi insulted his mother and sister due to the point that he can't take it anymore.
No one really know what's been said, and I doubt we can answered the above question if either both of them won't tell the truth. FIFA are allegedly conduction an investigation on this issue, since racism is quite a serious crime. Materazzi could face quite a punishment if he really did said racist things to Zidane. Even though personally, I think he might have. Materazzi is well known as a dirty player who used every trick in the book (and write one himself), to be believed that he didn't try to get Zidane sent-off.
But, even after all this, even his exit was disgraceful, I think he's still one of the best player in the world. Zidane in his prime was an absolute joy to watched. His vision, ball control, power, passing range is absolutely top class. And he did all that with the economy of movement, unlike the Brazilians who tend to show off to display their skills. He's probably the only player that can make me woke up at 3 in the morning just to see him play his skill on clubs that I don't even support.
I've been priveleged enough to see him at his best, so I have no complaint about how he ends his career.
Au Revoir Zidane, merci beacoup pour la mémoire
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Well, the world cup has ended about 4 days ago, and life's back to normal again. No more waking up in the early hours of the day to watch a game. I, as most football fans around Indonesia will be relieved that, our routine wont be disturbed.
But the after effect of the final is stil going strong. Not because of the game itself (which is not very good since only France who were going for the win while Italy defended with their lives), but what happened 10 minutes before the game's extra time ended.
When the referee was going to signal a freekick for the Italians, he was brought to attention by other players at Marco Materazzi, the Italian defender, who was lying on his back while holding his chest in pain. After the ref consulted his assistant, he sent off Zinedine Zidane, the French captain, who has been inspirational for his side in this tournament, for violent conduct. TV replays a few minutes after that shows that after exchanging a few words with Materazzi, Zidane crash his head to the Italian chest with some power.
This is the huge talking point after the game. Most newspapers printed this incident as their headlines. Football forums filled with comments on Zidane's action. Italy, who won the World Cup after beating France in penalty shoot-out, got some nice articles about their achievement, but nowhere near the intesity that Zidane's incident.
The incident has been polarizing football fans around the world. Zidane's skill is well respected in the football world as one of the best in the world. Many people would like to see him get a proper goodbye since the final is his last game before he retired from football this year. What would make him do that is the question that's been asked.
Rumours that come out from the French camp was Materazzi was making racist comments about Zidane's mother. Materazzi himself denied that he made racist comments, but doesn't go into detail of what he actually said. Zidane only said in his latest press release that Materazzi insulted his mother and sister due to the point that he can't take it anymore.
No one really know what's been said, and I doubt we can answered the above question if either both of them won't tell the truth. FIFA are allegedly conduction an investigation on this issue, since racism is quite a serious crime. Materazzi could face quite a punishment if he really did said racist things to Zidane. Even though personally, I think he might have. Materazzi is well known as a dirty player who used every trick in the book (and write one himself), to be believed that he didn't try to get Zidane sent-off.
But, even after all this, even his exit was disgraceful, I think he's still one of the best player in the world. Zidane in his prime was an absolute joy to watched. His vision, ball control, power, passing range is absolutely top class. And he did all that with the economy of movement, unlike the Brazilians who tend to show off to display their skills. He's probably the only player that can make me woke up at 3 in the morning just to see him play his skill on clubs that I don't even support.
I've been priveleged enough to see him at his best, so I have no complaint about how he ends his career.
Au Revoir Zidane, merci beacoup pour la mémoire
posted by Chafid at
11:09 PM
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