Eddie

I just think there are certain ways to deal with things and that to ban players because he said something that got a reaction is not a way to get rid of it, not is it actually particularly fair given the fact that he may turn out to be the only player in history to ever recieve such a punishment. Zidane committed the great offense, but as things stand Materazzi will be punished more.

I have seen him lash out before, I have no idea whether what was said to him played any part in it as this is the first time we have been stupid enough to attempt to justify an idiotic and violent act. I have no doubt that 4/5 or more of violent fouls have to do with what has been said or some prior act.

Note to self: If you think Zidane hasn't given as much as he has taken on the football pitch then you are living with your eyes shut. Getting under someone's skin is part of sport, always will be. Some of it is funny, some of it is nasty, it will always be there.

How noble, maybe we should offer him a knighthood or something. I have a problem with the fact that there is any sympathy towards a player who does something as violent and unjustified as that on a football pitch. I personally have a huge problem with headbutts, I think they are disgusting, whether in street fights of anywhere else, so to see a player do something that low in a world cup final and to have anyone saying it was justified or that they can somewhat understand it I simply can't stand. L'Equipe is the only publication here in France not still praising the man, it is disgusting. We can't only punish them because someone reacts, it is part of sport and always will be, anyone who thinks they can change that is foolish. Add to that the fact that we will never know what he said. Materazzi has denied it and lip reading is far from fool proof, with varying interpretations of what has gone on. Sad that this violent act is being at all justified.

You think they could show us a real picture of it.

Why? As I said the only reason he is getting in trouble is because Zidane reacted, we don't even know what he said.

Not sure if this has been mentioned anywhere but Capello was approached Sounds as if he would have taken it as well, shame, I think he would have done a good job.

I don't. No way could he grow up where he did without hearing that sort of stuff and it always happens on the sports field. Must add that the player has denied it, so this is all conjecture. Nothing can make me understand what he did and I have to agree that most of this sympathy is because it is Zidane.

If he scores goals he'll make the squad. It was the wrong time for Bent given his style of play.

If he scores enough goals he'll make the squad, I don't think he will, but if he hits 15-20 goals next season he is in with a great chance.

wrong topic

Insults fly around on the football pitch, I'm sure Zidane, who is not the nicest man by all accounts, didn't keep his mouth shut for the entire game. You know it will happen, no matter where you play football people say things and I'm sure he has heard much worse things in his time. I do. If he is only human then why is he the first football I have ever seen do anything quite like that, especially in a world cup final? You don't think the others were insulted? The French team is virtually entirely black or arab, you think the only person who was insulted was Zidane? Also, how do you explain his previous offences. This isn't his first headbutt, the 98 world cup he was sent off after a nast stamp (on a saudi I believe so I'm sure he wasn't called a terrorist that time). The insult shouldn't be investigated. Is it only worth investigating because he reacted? You would have to be banning several players a game if we set these standards. Do you think players like Keane, Savage, Viera who live off of getting under the skin of their opposite number would ever get on the pitch? I hate to think how different all of this had been had the offender been English, I also hate to think where all this may well lead. This is getting to the extent where if I were Materazzi I would press charges for assault just to make a point of it. Zidane has shown himself to be a little man by not coming out and simply holding his hands up. There is no excuse, I don't care what was said. Think of sledging in cricket, do you think during the Ashes this winter (or summer depending on your location) that nothing nasty will be said. Welcome to the world of sport everybody, you can't escape the nasty verbals, if you can't stand it, don't play it.

Here in France only L'Equipe seems unsympathetic. Most headlines are along the lines of "we still love you", he is being turned into a martyr. Disgusting.

Exactly Abbey, things like that will be said all the time in football, no escaping this for Zidane, he should have been big enough to rise above it, or do what most others do and get your own back in a less obvious and disgusting way or simply say something back. Things like that are always said in sport, if you can't handle it then don't play. He's always had a nasty side, shame he had to show it in his last game on such a stage.

Even if he did Zidane was a fool and a thug. That sort of thing is so common in sport and to react like that is unacceptable. I fear that this may be turned into a sympathy campaign.

I think Owen would shove his goal record in your face and question exactly who you are to say that, quite rightly so. He has never been a failure. He has been success in every competition at every level he has ever played and his ability to score goals is just about second to none in the modern era, I'll wait and see how he plays once he is back from injury before I decide he is finished, as should everyone. Given his age and the great work of modern medicine there is no reason why this should stop him.

I would have agreed with you until Zidane's sending off. There was no way he deserved to touch the trophy after something that disgusting.

I thought it was telling that even Desailly on English TV and several pundits on French TV all agreed that it was a dive.

Have to say that I disagree with that. A good number of teams were up to tricks, not all though. Of course you can probably say there were one or two unimportant dives from every team, or at least players going down easily, but there were quite a few teams that didn't really do it (England, USA, T&T, Sweden and more), they may have broken rules, had players sent off, whatever, but they didn't cheat.

He is touched, but it was still a dive really. He gets a slight touch and decides to trip himself.

They've most all admitted that none of them played as well as they can, you'll never see a player say he is in an irreversible decline, he may as well give up if he believes that to be the case when he is only 26.

I was getting at the fact that the big names in the French team put pressure on Domenech to ditch the 4-5-1 and recall Trezeguet, he didn't listen to them.

It's a fun little comedy, not some deep drama, relax.

That's exactly what Domenech did.

Maybe he did neekoy.