Zidane Headbutted a Famous Footballer in the Chest

The French Football Federation confirmed on Tuesday at its Paris headquarters what had been rumored for some time, Zinedine Zidane is the new national team manager. He will replace Didier Deschamps in that role, with the official announcement made at a press conference.

Twenty Years Since the Most Famous Headbutt

Although Zidane is one of the greatest players of all time, his career is also inextricably linked to a dark moment. Two decades ago, in the World Cup final in Germany, an incident occurred that is still talked about today. In the heat of the battle at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, Zidane clashed verbally with Italian international Marco Materazzi. The exchange of words culminated in a move that shocked the world, Zidane headbutted Materazzi in the chest and was immediately shown a red card.

For years, it was unknown what the Italian had exactly said, but fans suspected the insult was personal in nature. It turned out they were right.

Materazzi Reveals What He Said

In an interview with The Times, Materazzi finally clarified the details of their clash. He said he was not happy that this episode had marked his career and stressed that it should never have happened. He described how, in the midst of the tense final, Zidane approached him and offered his shirt, to which he responded by refusing and adding that he would rather have Zidane's sister.

"I don't like it because what happened doesn't match what my career was like. That episode should never have happened. In the heat of that tense final in Berlin, amid all the arguments and insults, Zidane came up to me and offered me his shirt. I said no, that I would rather have his sister. He then turned around and reacted in the way everyone remembers. After that, I never saw Zidane again," Materazzi told The Times.

Zidane: "In That Moment, I Was Weak"

The same version of events was confirmed by Zidane himself in an interview with France's L'Equipe. He admitted that Materazzi provoked him by mentioning his sister and that he was not proud of his reaction. He stressed that the Italian had not insulted his mother, but rather his sister, and that he was weak in that moment.

"He provoked me by mentioning my sister. I'm not proud of that moment, but it's part of my career. In that moment, I was weak. He didn't insult my mother, but he did insult my sister," Zidane told L'Equipe.

In that historic final, the only scorers were Materazzi and Zidane themselves. The match went to extra time after regulation, and Italy ultimately triumphed after a better penalty shootout.