Why Zidane snapped
Video replay killed the World Cup star Zidane
JONATHAN COATES
THE line between genius and madness has perhaps never been thinner.
A famous journey that began in 1986, when a 14-year-old son of Algerian immigrants was offered a place at the academy of AS Cannes, wound up in Berlin last night with an almighty bang. Whether it was an explosion or an implosion, only Zinedine Zidane can really be sure, but certainly a great career could not have been closed in a less apt, gratifying or sensible way.
Had there been an element of altruism at play - say Zidane had committed a professional foul to deny Italy a last-minute winner - it would have been an understandable reason for the maestro to sabotage his own swansong. Yet there was nothing to be gained from lowering his head and charging into Marco Materazzi's chest, and such a great deal to be lost.
In years to come most admirers will only want to recall the real Zidane, feinting and gliding between opponents, backheeling a pass or issuing a thunderous volley. The lasting damage to his popularity will not be as deep around the world as it might be in France, where they don't readily forgive. But surely the most pain will be felt by the man himself. Had France limped out of the World Cup with a whimper it wouldn't have been because of their greatest player. But when the only difference between the capture and loss of a trophy is a captain for ten minutes of extra time and one less mature, composed penalty taker in the shoot-out, there can only be one target for recrimination. Zidane will find it hard to look in the mirror this morning and if he holds good on that plan to retire, 50 years is a long time to live in fear of one's reflection.
Despite a smattering of indisciplined incidents over the years, Zidane is no Eric Cantona. He did become the first Frenchman to be sent off in a World Cup finals, with a stamp on Saudi Arabia's captain when France began their home campaign in 1998, and in 2000 he incurred a five-match ban for two straight sendings-off in the Champions League, on for a headbutt on Hamburg's Jochen Kientz. But generally Zidane has come across as the very antithesis of the red-blooded primate, lashing out at the slightest invitation. For all the gesticulations, spats and histrionics indulged in by peers, Zidane has tended to retaliate to attack with nothing more aggressive than a cold stare.
From television footage of the incident, Materazzi might have nipped the French midfielder in the chest as they grappled over a ball. However, after the players parted the Italian can only have said something that inflamed his opponent and caused the retribution. Why Zidane snapped, only he can explain.
"There a moments, when you take blows for 80 minutes, I'm not saying I'm excusing it but I can understand," said the French coach, Raymond Domenech. He clearly believed Materazzi's incitations were more goading than they appeared on television, but admitted he could not condone what happened. "It was too bad, a totally useless gesture. We regret it and he also regrets it."
Domenech made no further attempt to explain the actions of his captain, which he conceded had had a permanent bearing on his team's hopes. "I don't know. I think Materazzi was perhaps involved. Something must have happened," he said. "I don't think Zidane decided out of the blue to react in such a way that he was sent off.
"We missed Zidane a lot in the last 10 minutes. His absence weighed heavily on the match.
"Yes, we can say that Zidane being sent off was the killing moment of the game. Especially in extra time - the Italian team were obviously waiting for the penalty shoot-out."
Intriguingly, Domenech ventured more readily into discussions on what happened after Zidane's headbutt. He had scathing words for referee Horacio Elizondo, claiming that he took the unprecedented step of asking a fourth official to examine video footage of the incident before making his decision.
Domenech claimed: "The referee saw nothing, the assistant referee saw nothing and then we have the fourth official seeing the video replay and telling the referee."
Italy coach Marcello Lippi defended Materazzi for his reaction to what was clearly a powerful assault, but agreed that the officials had conducted a trial by television.
Lippi said: "You will realise that it was not Materazzi who got the attention of the referee. It was the fourth and fifth officials looking at the video at the edge of the pitch. We did not do anything. They saw it and they called the attention of the referee.
"When the French fans see television tomorrow they will see what happened and they will think differently. Materazzi was not acting. He took a blow and he was hurt."
Lippi paid tribute to Zidane's career and urged him to rethink his decision to retire. "I am sorry because I hold him in great esteem," Lippi said. "I told him that before the game. I was sorry for him to go. It is a shame if he goes on this note. That is if he does go, because I told him before the game that he should not retire."
Lippi added: "This World Cup has given opportunities to two people who have suffered. One is Cannavaro. He is the greatest defender in the world. He is just the best but Buffon comes close.
"Buffon did not make the save from the penalties but he influenced Trezeguet's mistake. I have seen matches end up in penalty shoot-outs and the ones I have lost are the ones where the players didn't want to shoot. My boys wanted it really strongly tonight and that's why we scored all five."
Lippi took Francesco Totti off and thought he was struggling for fitness after playing throughout the semi-final against Germany. "He paid the price of 120 minutes against Germany. That took it's toll. He had not recovered his optimum form."
Italy's fans launched into a huge celebration as they became world champions for the first time since 1982.
Lippi said: "Thanks to our fans because we felt their closeness. It filled us with hope and pride and joy at a time when we really needed it.
"This was a special match. I don't know if it was a penalty to France but there was a wonderful reaction from my team.
"We always hoped we could make it. We were dangerous all over the pitch but we were playing against a good team. We did a great job in the penalty shoot-out. We kept our cool and did not miss one."