Fan Zone Forum: Au revoir, Zizou
 Zidane walks past the World Cup trophy following his sending off in Sunday's final. (CNN) -- He has been the greatest footballer of the modern era, gracing World Cups and Champions League finals in the colors of France, Real Madrid and Juventus for almost a decade. But Zinedine Zidane's glorious career ended ignominiously on Sunday when he was sent off late in extra time in Sunday's World Cup final after head butting Italian defender Marco Matterazi, leaving his teammates to lose on penalties. What did you make of the incident that led to Zidane's sending off? Should he be remembered as a hero or villain? Did he deserve to win FIFA's Golden Ball award for the tournament's outstanding player? Send us your comments and we'll post them below. ________________________________
• From: Wesley; New York
• Posted: July 10, 2006
• Comment: They are both to blame for the sour ending to the Cup, but at least Zidane's behavior was out of character, whereas Materazzi's behavior was typical. ________________________________
• From: Satish Kirtikar; Elkhart, Indiana
• Posted: July 10, 2006
• Comment: Players like Zidane (Zizou) are highly paid professionals, and hence must act as such. They should inspire young people to emulate them. Italian footballers are known to get under ones skin, but Zidane's final act is shameful ________________________________
• From: Robert A. Hochberger
• Posted: July 10, 2006
• Comment: It is both unbelievable and unconscionable to think that an organization that has done so much to infuse fair play into this tournament (to the point of producing overzealous referees) would give its top player award to the individual that committed the single worst active of violence during the tournament! Shame on Zidane and shame on FIFA! If FIFA truly believed in fair play it would have given the award to the a master player that committed among the fewest fouls in the entire tournament: Cannavaro! ________________________________
• From: Italian fan; Montreal, Canada
• Posted: July 10, 2006
• Comment: Zidane acted like a jerk. There was no need for him to do such thing. He sould've used his anger to beat Italy.... but, hey!! We have the cup now and the party must go on!!! ________________________________
• From: Mariam; South Africa
• Posted: July 10, 2006
• Comment: I have never been a great soccer fan, but as I watched Zidane play I realised the talent and commitment this game takes. I do no care to speculate about what was said to him, but it must have struck him to the core. I will always remember him as the master he has proven himself to be- an he is beyond hansome. So farewell, and no matter what has happened you are loved ________________________________
• From: John; Belgium
• Posted: July 10, 2006
• Comment: Zidane doesn't deserve the Golden Ball, even if he didn't get sent off with a red card. First because he played horrible his first two games and missed the third for suspension. Buffon, Cannavaro and even Pirlo played excellent every single game, none of them getting a single yellow card (compared to Zizou's two yellows and one red). Zidane didn't even play a great game in the final. Once again this shows the lack of knowledge in football that journalists have. As far as his head butt, trash talk goes both ways. Also to correct Materazzi has only gotten 1 red card playing for Italy (which was a horrible call) and 1 playing for his club (FC Inter) in Seria A. There reason why Italy won and deserved to win is the group stength which most teams lacked. It also wasn't the dirtiest match, actually a faily clean match besides Zidane's "header." Perhaps you have forgotten the Portugal-Netherlands game. ________________________________
• From: Niaz; Saudi Arabia
• Posted: July 10, 2006
• Comment: I am an Italian fan and was cheering on Italy all the way. But I didnt mind France winning for the sake of Zedane. But after Materazzi's nipple pinching and provocation on the greatest of player of this era, I think I might have to chose another team to support from now on. You cant side with cheats and crooks even if you like them. ________________________________
• From: Nicolette Roussos; Johannesburg, South Africa
• Posted: July 10, 2006
• Comment: Zidane's red-card exit was a shock. I can't believe Zizou would have chosen this, particularly given France's inspirational climb to the finals. One can only speculate on just how bad Materazzi's gibes must have been. Still, I'm sure Zizou will continue to inspire many, despite this incident. You'll be missed, Zizou! ________________________________
• From: Owen Stone; China
• Posted: July 10, 2006
• Comment: Personally i am gutted that Zidane's career ended the way it did. He was the greatest player in the last 15 years. Winner of a world cup, european championship, FIFA world player of the year (3 times), European League winner, super cup winner and well as many national titles with various clubs. I for one will always remember the goal he scored in the Champions League Final at Hamden Park, Glasgow! People ask will he be remembered as hero or villian? Is Maradona any less of a footballing genius because of his various indiscretions? Hell Maradona did the "hand of god"! I am glad he got the player of the tournament, as frankly he deserved it, regardless of the red card. The game against Brasil proves that. At the end of the day, it does not matter what peopel say about him, be that complimant of to throw mud at him. Zidane the man will have the memories of that moment playing in his mind for a long time to come. I am sure in his worst nightmares he never thought of endng an otherwise glittering career in such a fashion. Zidane you will always be remembered for the many mnay magical monets you brought to the game. ________________________________
• From: Tunde Adama; Lagos, Nigeria
• Posted: July 10, 2006
• Comment: One of the all time greats who was poetry in motion cannot be remembered for 1 lousy moment out of a career of millions of brilliant moments. Bye Bye ZIZOU we will never forget the Joy you brought to millions of Real madrid and The French National team. God bless you. ________________________________
• From: Jassim Ali; Dubai
• Posted: July 10, 2006
• Comment: No, Zidane absolutely did not deserve to win the Golden Ball award, especially after that vicious headbutt. Whatever was said to provoke is immaterial, of course it was not nice but Zidane has an uncontrollable bad temper and a violent streak. That's evident. Attacks are wrong under any circumstance. Cannavaro deserved the award, for his consistent great play and being a good sportsman and captain. ________________________________
• From: Stefano Polasek; Italy
• Posted: July 10, 2006
• Comment: Hello, I'm Italian and (you bet!), I'm happy for Italy's victory. I'm also a Zidane fan... Zidane has surely been provoked (like almost all the players in every game). But soccer is not wrestling, and Zidane acted in a wrong way last night, with no excuses. As for the game, last night France played a great game, but lost in the penalties shootout. Good for Italy, bad for France. Oh, I almost forgot... Italy won the semifinals against Germany, in their own country, in probably the best game of the tournament, while France won the semifinals against Portugal in an ugly game, while before won against Brasil in a super match with a super Zidane... I would call it even... Zidane and the history of football? A hero, of course! ________________________________
• From: Sandra; Singapore
• Posted: July 10, 2006
• Comment: Zizou rules ! But then the greatness of the man doesnt necessarily exempt him from the ethical aspects of the game. The Italians are desfinitely not known for playing a fair game and at the end of the day it matters a lot on how you win rather than wether you win .I know this is a debatble aspect but then i leave it to the better judgement of people. ________________________________
• From: JH; Singapore
• Posted: July 10, 2006
• Comment: Let's not berate Zidane anymore. I can't imagine anybody who should feel it more than he does. Imagine his own regret and horror at having to live with this memory. Let's stop criticising him. He is human and to be human is to err. My memory of him will always be of him as a kind and out standing footballer who is probably the best in the world. Let's not rob him of the ovation that he deserves. Merci Zizou, for letting us admire your skills and you will stay in our hearts forever! ________________________________
• From: Hocine; Czech Republic
• Posted: July 10, 2006
• Comment: You know what ZIDANE,an eye for eye.good luck for the rest of your life. ________________________________
• From: Katerina; London
• Posted: July 10, 2006
• Comment: I am absolutely gutted with Materazzi shamelessness; he should not have been in the international footbal scene if he is such an indecent player as they say he is. I understand that Zidane should not have lowered himself to Materazzi's level but he is human and God knows what the Italian said that made him lose his temper. We all know how decent a player Zidane has always been and he will be remembered as such; what about Materazzi though? What kind of reputation and legacy is he leaving behind? The one of a con artist fotball player that he plays with his dirty mouth and not his lefs obviously. It's a shame that football players with such ethics exist in the international football scene... ________________________________
• From: Karl; Germany
• Posted: July 10, 2006
• Comment: After watching almost every match in this world cup, Italy stood out as the ugliest team out there. I believe the French team should hold their heads high and know that they played a much cleaner, more professional and better game. I would not want a metal that was tarnished the way the Italians is. As of this moment none of us outside the French team know what was said by Materazzi. I have no respect for Materazzi and with his record I can only conclude that he was up to no good. My congratulations to Zidane on on a tournment well played and his much deserved Golden Ball award. He was brilliant to watch. I do not advocate violence however I will say Materazzi deserved much worse than he got!! Nice shot Zidane!!! ________________________________
• From: Natasha Y; Malaysia
• Posted: July 10, 2006
• Comment: Zizou, don't blame yourself for the lost control. Italy know their can't do better than you in the football field, so Materazzi just say some annoying words to get you mad. It's probably one of their tactics. After all, they lost the Fifa Golden Ball to you. And you are definately the man name behind Pele and Maradona ________________________________
• From: Ian L; South Africa
• Posted: July 10, 2006
• Comment: Zidane was the player of the tournament no matter what! All the current stars failed to perform and live up to the mind boggling salaries they earn . It took someone out of retirement to show them what ball handling skills are all about, as for Materazzi i think he got what he deserved patience is a virtue that can only be streched so far in fact he should be thankful that the head butt was only to his chest and not his face. Zidane's performance for me outshone the 2 bad qualities in this world cup ie. dubious ref decisions and really bad acting by many players in their so called "fouls". Italy should be wise to remember that the Austrailian team was robbed in their challenge against them and as such shouldn't be too surprised that their bad tactics will come back to haunt them. Viva Zizou ________________________________
• From: Soccer Mom; Tokyo, Japan
• Posted: July 10, 2006
• Comment: Zidane is a great player - or so I thought. A great player can resist the temptation to physically strike another. To award him the MVP sends the wrong message to our children. No matter what Materazzi said to Zidane, a truly great player would never never strike another player, especially at the World Cup Championship. I think Zidane would agree. ________________________________
• From: Sergio; Italy
• Posted: July 10, 2006
• Comment: What?? everybody has been asking for fair play for an enitre month and Zidane wins the best player? I am firmly convinced he was actually the best playerin the world cup, what he did though should prevent him to get the prize. ________________________________
• From: Luca; Italy
• Posted: July 10, 2006
• Comment: We will NOT miss you. ________________________________
• From: Claire Bangasser; France
• Posted: July 10, 2006
• Comment: Zidane was told something his offender would be unacceptable. Somehow Zidane was not able to walk away from the offending words or behavior. He lost it. Still impossible not to love the man and his team. It's nice to know God knows the truth :-) ________________________________
• From: Ralf B.Nicholson; New York
• Posted: July 10, 2006
• Comment: Zidane, is the King and that was his decision to show the world that Materazzi is a low class skum so be it at any cost..he is the greatest... ________________________________
• From: Mauss; Brumath, France
• Posted: July 10, 2006
• Comment: As French, I am ashamed by this act and I am ashamed ever more when I see that Jacques chirac congratulated him. It is a good thing that Italia succeded and won the cup ________________________________
• From: Ali Bayat; Toronto, Canada
• Posted: July 10, 2006
• Comment: Zinedine Zidane is one of the greatest footballers of all time. What happened yesterday on the field shows that he is only a human and after being provoked by Materazzi, who has a known record of foul play, reacted with instinct. That should not take away from the great player that he is, and his career should not be judged by an instant. We love you Zizou! ________________________________
• From: Ei Pipo; U.S.
• Posted: July 10, 2006
• Comment: The Golden Ball is a bitter consolation prize as it only rewards Zidane, when it was the whole team he meant to lift. Whatever Materazzi did to lead Zidane to his bizarre burst of violence should not be taken lightly. Zidane broke everybody's heart. I think the World Cup ended in a very sad note. ________________________________
• From: Fabrice; Houston
• Posted: July 10, 2006
• Comment: let's wait what Materazzi said to Zidane before to criticize. Maybe everybody will be shocked... ________________________________
• From: Henry; Greece
• Posted: July 10, 2006
• Comment: Zinendine Zidane won the Golden Boot Award after the descable attitude he put up during the finals of the world cup finals. No matter what transpired between him and Materazzi, he should not have acted the way he did. He has no excuse whatsoever for his attitude. The award should not have been given to him. FIFA has set a bad precedence. ________________________________
• From: Prasad Kumar
• Posted: July 10, 2006
• Comment: Hi, I am zidane fan , and will remain always, forget what happened in the finals, alas he is a human not god. Italian player Materazzi, he is black listed palyer already having sent out many times for his behaviour, might have abused the sentiments of Zidane which might have made Zidane furious and might be a tactic used by italy against Frecnh men to loose their temper and get them a Red against italy and Zidane was the victim of that. If anyone could get what Materazzi abused to zidane , then we could come to conclusion whether Zidane was wrong or Right. Over all World Cup was greatly hosted by germany , I wanted germany and France in final match as both team play fairly mannered game. Zidane was and is the best player of the tourmanent no doubt. ________________________________
• From: Erica M. Lee
• Posted: July 10, 2006
• Comment: With regards to Zizou -- as footballers, we have all been there -- in the heat of the moment when just the right words can tip you off but you have to keep your head. As a professional and international icon, there is no excuse for that behavior. I hope Zidane takes responsibility for his behavior in order to leave the game as the world class star he is. ________________________________
• From: Ruth Olafsson
• Posted: July 10, 2006
• Comment: I am now 80 yrs. and have been enjoying the World cup for a long time. I think Germany hosted beautifully, and generally fans were admirable. Italy deserved to win. I was for the first time hoping, France would win. Only because I wished Zidan to go out in a blaze of glory. But, as with every Italian game there is always a special player, who does a "slippery" game, costing someone dearly. The head butting was inexcusable, but I feel certain that Masarazzi played the goading game, for the whole game. So a great World Cup, and my respect and admiration for Zinedine Zidane, no matter the ending, he is indeed one of the greatest players, the game has ever known!! ________________________________
• From: Shalini A; India
• Posted: July 10, 2006
• Comment: France you played your best and did well for your team in the World Cup. You are a great team and wil surely do well, so do not loose heart. Zinedine Zidane has done a lot for his team, but luck did not have it. We all will miss our favourite football champion and we wish him all the best! We hoped that you had to stay longer! ________________________________
• From: Shalini A; India
• Posted: July 10, 2006
• Comment: 2006 world cup final match came to an end, which ending in such an un-expected way. I strongly thought that Italy team were not absolutely qualified for being the winner. What they could get is a trophy of world no. 1 pretender, an ugliest football team in 2006 World Cup. They tried, as possible as they could, dirty ways to beat their opponents during matches. The dirtiest match I watched from this world cup is last night one. When Zidane headbutted to a Italy player, I clapped my hands loudly and when the referee showed a red card to end Zidane 's play and career, I clapped more loudly and loudly. If I could talk to Zidane, I would like to say to him " You did a really good job" . If his headbutting could let the world realize that it was not a clean and fair game, then people should be proud of him, because no one would rather choose and dare to do it. When a game came under a shameful competition way, what good outcome could people expect ? Were people who watched the game all fooled? FIFA shall you not do something for the world to have a better sport spirit to come, shall you? expressed by a disappointed audience ________________________________
• From: Catherine Browne; Crassier, Switzerland
• Posted: July 10, 2006
• Comment: I'm so very happy to read on CNN Breaking News that Zidane has just won the FIFA Golden Ball best player award! We love you, Zizou! ________________________________
• From: Reverend Joseph E. Leiato; Samoa
• Posted: July 10, 2006
• Comment: What is the criteria FIFA uses for selection as Player of a Tournament? President just chooses at will, or a bunch of old men making a choice on their own? Seems as if one of the criteria is the audaciousness of a foul. In that case, Zidane definitely is the perfect choice. FIFA needs to let the public know the criteria it uses. Not a good example to send to the youths of the world. Hmmm....did Zidane have a child he was walking out with? ________________________________
• From: Rufael; Germany
• Posted: July 10, 2006
• Comment: Greetings!! France captain Zidane is the best player for the last 15 years.We have a great respect for what he achived ....... I guess he deserved to be the best Player, no matter what happened yesterday. You 'media Guys' do not rush up to judge ... wait and listen the whole picture from both Zidane and Materazzi for the things happened yesterday. After all, he is human being, has emotions when he provoked. We love you Zidane !! You are a great player !! ________________________________
• From: Dr Quincy-Jones; Paris, France
• Posted: July 10, 2006
• Comment: It's always easy to criticize ones actions. For Zinedine Zidane to do what he did, Materaazi might have said something very profound for Zizou to turn and head butt him .. We the French are EXTREMELY proud of Zinedine Zidane. God bless him ________________________________
• From: Ralph; Netherlands.
• Posted: July 10, 2006
• Comment: Fifa decision to reward Zidane, with the Golden Ball, in the aftermath of this so good Soccer World Cup in Germany hits the nail on the head and I am in line with. Zidane has been a super footballer in and out the pitch.The unhappy event between Zidane and Mattarazi has to be pondered fairly, what told Mattarazi to Zidane is vital to know so as to reach a fair judgement, this event could badly overshadow Zidane's achievements, especially if you take account of sometimes, words can hurt more than nuclear weapons. ________________________________
• From: Olusoji Elias
• Posted: July 10, 2006
• Comment: What in God's name could Materazzi have said to Zidane? ________________________________
• From: Dev Singhsachthep, Thailand
• Posted: July 10
• Comment: Zinedine Zidane got what he always wanted... 'An EARLY Retirement!'
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