Wednesday, July 12, 2006

BERLIN (AP) Was it something he said?

France midfielder Zinedine Zidane sits on the pitch after being tackled by Italy's Fabio Cannavaro the World Cup 2006 final against Italy at Berlin's Olympic Stadium on Sunday. KYODO PHOTO

With France and Italy tied in extra time of Sunday's World Cup final, Zinedine Zidane head-butted Marco Materazzi in the chest and was ejected. France went on to lose on penalty kicks.

The day after, still no one knew what the Italian defender might have said to the French star.

But Materazzi has admitted that he insulted Zidane, which is a start, but Materazzi denied reports that he called Zidane a terrorist.

"I did insult him, it's true," Materazzi said. "But I categorically did not call him a terrorist. I'm not cultured, and I don't even know what an Islamic terrorist is."

Seconds before the head-butt, Materazzi had grabbed a handful of Zidane's jersey just as a French attack on goal passed harmlessly by. The two exchanged words as they walked back up the field, well behind the play. Then, without warning, Zidane spun around, lowered his head and rammed Materazzi, knocking him to the ground.

"I held his shirt for a few seconds only, then he turned round and spoke to me, sneering," the Italian defender said. "He looked me up and down, arrogantly and said, 'If you really want my shirt, I'll give it to you afterwards."'

The 32-year-old Inter Milan player did not elaborate exactly on what he said to Zidane.

"It was one of those insults you're told tens of times and that always fly around the pitch," he said.

Zidane's teammates were not convinced.

"The Italians did everything they could do to provoke Zidane," France defender William Gallas said.

The Paris-based anti-racism advocacy group SOS-Racism issued a statement Monday quoting "several very well informed sources from the world of football" as saying Materazzi called Zidane a "dirty terrorist." It demanded that FIFA, soccer's world governing body, investigate and take any appropriate action.

FIFA, which reviews all red cards at the World Cup, would not comment on the specifics.

"This is a disciplinary matter now. I can't give any statements now," FIFA spokesman Markus Siegler said on Monday.

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