A life in the building, a second to destroy.
Zinedine Zidane. "ZZ". "Zizou".
What happened in that 110th minute?
Insult? Jibe? Snide remark? Unsporting comment? Who knows apart from the two players? But we all know what followed. The three-time winner of the FIFA World Player of the Year turned on his heels and shoved his head with determination into Marco Materazzi's chest.
"Le Headbutt".
"Le Red Card".
From hero to zero in one minute twenty. The whole world was shocked by the man's unsporting attitude, and the player whose goals had secured a World Cup and a Champion's League, and whose play had done much more for football all around the world was suddenly also the author of one of the most unsporting acts of the year.
Regardless of the means that lead to Zidane receiving a red card, and regardless of the outcome of the match, I must admit that I am dissapointed.
Dissapointed twice, in fact.
First of all, I am dissapointed that he caved into Marco Materazzi's ploy. As a professional, as a seasoned footballer, as a legend, I was dissapointed to see him headbutt Materazzi. Indeed, I never played football at international level, nor did I play at continental or national level. However, I did play at regional level. As a defender, I was forced to make hard tackles and to prove my physical presence. As a midfielder, I was forced to use my stature to edge out opponents to get the ball, and then to protect or simply play it. And even then, in a measly U16 regional championship, I was often victim of ploys like Materazzi's.
Of course, this doesn't excuse Materazzi in any way, especially if he made comments that were out of the context of the game. However, in the same way as a midfielder I would taunt my opposing number with a shout of "olé" when I got past him, and would not hesitate to tell him that he wouldn't stop me, or even as a defender would tease the winger that faced me when I stopped his run or intercepted his pass, I must admit that I consider taunting to be an integral part of football.
However, I must once more assure you that the taunting and mocking that I condone in football is not at all of the racist, obnoxious or degrading kind that some players used against me.
But the fact remains that in my low level league, taunting and teasing, mocking and rallying was commonplace, and as such I cannot imagine that Zidane was facing it for the first time in his career.
Do you remember Roy Keane? I hope you do. Still a player for Celtic Glasgow, the tough-tackling irishman made his name at Manchester United, and was considered by many to be one of the best midfielders of all time. He taunted. He taunted profusely. He taunted his opponents like no other has been able to do, with witty remarks and small jibes. He was so good at taunting opponents that he pushed them to commit fouls. He forced them to lose their calm, and to fragilise their team. Add that talent to his fiery temper and his perfect sense of tackling, and it is evident why he was seen by Alex Ferguson as the only really important player in Manchester United's midfield. I, for one, remember the great rivalry that he shared with Patrick Vieira, the french midfielder. As Arsenal were Manchester United's most potent rivals, and Vieira and Keane were both the keystones of their side's midfield, it was always a clash when the two met. And I have to admit that I never saw Keane dominated by Vieira. Vieira was always the first to falter, and through his talent to knead Vieira's mental, he secured over the years many valuable points for Manchester United.
Some say Keane was "unfair" and "unsporting" to taunt. How so? Football is played on three levels : Technical, Physical and Mental. Keane was the best there was in the Mental department, and he used his advantage to hinder his opponents' play, in the same way Maradonna's technical upper hand foiled his opponents' attempts to stop him. To say that using a mental advantage is unsporting or unfair would be akin to saying that it's unsporting to run faster or be able to control the ball better than another player! In this light, it's evident that taunting and teasing is surely part of the game. Perhaps not the most glorious, but perhaps on par with tackling...
So, a player who had spent 15 years in the top leagues, who had faced his lot of Keanes, of Vieiras, of Di Canios and other players who used such techniques to have the upper hand against their opponents, how could Zidane falter so seriously? I was dissapointed.
Secondly, I was dissapointed by Zidane's PR choice. What is there to explain about headbutting an opponent in the final match of the greatest competition the sport you play as a professional? What is there to explain? Nothing. Such an act will never be quelled by explanations, no matter how true they are. Why? Because going down that path shows two things : firstly, that he is no better than his opponent whom he says threw the first stone, as he did neither ignore the remarks, nor bring them to the attention of the officials. Secondly, that he has not yet acquired the guile to assume the full consequences of his acts.
Let us ponder on these points.
Yes, it can be hard to be razzed at for 90 minutes. Even harder to be razzed at for 110. But he could have talked to the referee to ask him to pay attention to what Materazzi was saying at half-time, at full-time or even at half-time of the extra time! So to hold it all back was surely not a wise choice. For a professional, I'm surprised there are even insults that can make him have a reaction, and even more that such insults can compell him to head-butt a player after only 110 minutes of contact, during wich most were probably contact-less. I cannot imagine Materazzi tagging Zidane for 110 minutes to have amusing banter with the french legend, since Materazzi was well in the Italian defence, and Zidane more often in the region of Gattuso and Pirlo than Italy's back 4... So for a professional to have a mental break-down after perhaps 40 minutes of discussion with another professional seems rather hard for me to imagine, especially when he played games when he was in contact with far more aggressive and mentally able players for much longer, such as Juventus vs Manchester United in 1999, when he was man-marked by Roy Keane and proved ineffectual to halt the Red Devils' progression, unable to find his free-flowing style of play. And he didn't feel compelled to test his taekwon-do moves on Roy or his team-mates.
Secondly, when he gave his interview on Canal+ and on TF1, I must admit that I felt I was listening to a 13 year-old. "Yes... What I did wasn't good... But he started it! I shouldn't really be punished because he started it! He was really nasty!". C'mon. Cut it out. You're 34, pal. The only player who make such mistakes as to reveal his extremely violent side and yet managed to retain my respect was Eric Cantona. Let's go back to the 25th of January 1995. Eric Cantona had won back-to-back league titles with Leeds and Manchester, and the previous season winning the Double, and he was the masterpiece of a succesful Manchester United side. And yet it would all smash down in the space of a few minutes. Cantona lashed out a kick at Shaw, the Palace defender, and was on the receiving end of a red card. But then the improbable, the unthinkable, and the unenviable happened. Taunted by a supporter, Cantona lost his temper, and launched a kung-fu kick at the abusive fan. This act was just as unsporting as Zidane's. However, Cantona made the perfect riposte : he never made any explanations. "When the seagulls follow the trailer, it is because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea". That's it. Later on, he would admit that he was "ashamed" of his "terrible" act, and that he wanted to present his "deepest excuses" and his "most profound regret" upon the incident. But he never asked for the fan to be in the wrong, nor for any lenience. He had faulted, and he admitted his mistake, for he knew that he was sole responsable for his acts. I'm dissapointed that Zidane, a player who was far more influential than Cantona in the footballing world, does not assume the consequences of his actions, and reacts like a young child, attempting by all means to reduce his fault and to incriminate others, and as such deresponsabilising himself from his acts.
But then again, perhaps that is what will come from "modern" football. Players who are more and more unstable, who assume less and less their acts, and who are sadly not as mature as once would expect a role model for society's youth to be.
But then again there's hope. If players like Lillian Thuram, Eric Cantona, George Best, Socrates and Edson Arantes do Nascimento were influential more than Ronaldo, Zidane, Rivaldo, Luis Figo and Ronaldinho, then perhaps there are others like me... Others who might have a bright future on the pitch, and will bring their calm and sense of purpose to the beautiful game.
What happened in that 110th minute?
Insult? Jibe? Snide remark? Unsporting comment? Who knows apart from the two players? But we all know what followed. The three-time winner of the FIFA World Player of the Year turned on his heels and shoved his head with determination into Marco Materazzi's chest.
"Le Headbutt".
"Le Red Card".
From hero to zero in one minute twenty. The whole world was shocked by the man's unsporting attitude, and the player whose goals had secured a World Cup and a Champion's League, and whose play had done much more for football all around the world was suddenly also the author of one of the most unsporting acts of the year.
Regardless of the means that lead to Zidane receiving a red card, and regardless of the outcome of the match, I must admit that I am dissapointed.
Dissapointed twice, in fact.
First of all, I am dissapointed that he caved into Marco Materazzi's ploy. As a professional, as a seasoned footballer, as a legend, I was dissapointed to see him headbutt Materazzi. Indeed, I never played football at international level, nor did I play at continental or national level. However, I did play at regional level. As a defender, I was forced to make hard tackles and to prove my physical presence. As a midfielder, I was forced to use my stature to edge out opponents to get the ball, and then to protect or simply play it. And even then, in a measly U16 regional championship, I was often victim of ploys like Materazzi's.
Of course, this doesn't excuse Materazzi in any way, especially if he made comments that were out of the context of the game. However, in the same way as a midfielder I would taunt my opposing number with a shout of "olé" when I got past him, and would not hesitate to tell him that he wouldn't stop me, or even as a defender would tease the winger that faced me when I stopped his run or intercepted his pass, I must admit that I consider taunting to be an integral part of football.
However, I must once more assure you that the taunting and mocking that I condone in football is not at all of the racist, obnoxious or degrading kind that some players used against me.
But the fact remains that in my low level league, taunting and teasing, mocking and rallying was commonplace, and as such I cannot imagine that Zidane was facing it for the first time in his career.
Do you remember Roy Keane? I hope you do. Still a player for Celtic Glasgow, the tough-tackling irishman made his name at Manchester United, and was considered by many to be one of the best midfielders of all time. He taunted. He taunted profusely. He taunted his opponents like no other has been able to do, with witty remarks and small jibes. He was so good at taunting opponents that he pushed them to commit fouls. He forced them to lose their calm, and to fragilise their team. Add that talent to his fiery temper and his perfect sense of tackling, and it is evident why he was seen by Alex Ferguson as the only really important player in Manchester United's midfield. I, for one, remember the great rivalry that he shared with Patrick Vieira, the french midfielder. As Arsenal were Manchester United's most potent rivals, and Vieira and Keane were both the keystones of their side's midfield, it was always a clash when the two met. And I have to admit that I never saw Keane dominated by Vieira. Vieira was always the first to falter, and through his talent to knead Vieira's mental, he secured over the years many valuable points for Manchester United.
Some say Keane was "unfair" and "unsporting" to taunt. How so? Football is played on three levels : Technical, Physical and Mental. Keane was the best there was in the Mental department, and he used his advantage to hinder his opponents' play, in the same way Maradonna's technical upper hand foiled his opponents' attempts to stop him. To say that using a mental advantage is unsporting or unfair would be akin to saying that it's unsporting to run faster or be able to control the ball better than another player! In this light, it's evident that taunting and teasing is surely part of the game. Perhaps not the most glorious, but perhaps on par with tackling...
So, a player who had spent 15 years in the top leagues, who had faced his lot of Keanes, of Vieiras, of Di Canios and other players who used such techniques to have the upper hand against their opponents, how could Zidane falter so seriously? I was dissapointed.
Secondly, I was dissapointed by Zidane's PR choice. What is there to explain about headbutting an opponent in the final match of the greatest competition the sport you play as a professional? What is there to explain? Nothing. Such an act will never be quelled by explanations, no matter how true they are. Why? Because going down that path shows two things : firstly, that he is no better than his opponent whom he says threw the first stone, as he did neither ignore the remarks, nor bring them to the attention of the officials. Secondly, that he has not yet acquired the guile to assume the full consequences of his acts.
Let us ponder on these points.
Yes, it can be hard to be razzed at for 90 minutes. Even harder to be razzed at for 110. But he could have talked to the referee to ask him to pay attention to what Materazzi was saying at half-time, at full-time or even at half-time of the extra time! So to hold it all back was surely not a wise choice. For a professional, I'm surprised there are even insults that can make him have a reaction, and even more that such insults can compell him to head-butt a player after only 110 minutes of contact, during wich most were probably contact-less. I cannot imagine Materazzi tagging Zidane for 110 minutes to have amusing banter with the french legend, since Materazzi was well in the Italian defence, and Zidane more often in the region of Gattuso and Pirlo than Italy's back 4... So for a professional to have a mental break-down after perhaps 40 minutes of discussion with another professional seems rather hard for me to imagine, especially when he played games when he was in contact with far more aggressive and mentally able players for much longer, such as Juventus vs Manchester United in 1999, when he was man-marked by Roy Keane and proved ineffectual to halt the Red Devils' progression, unable to find his free-flowing style of play. And he didn't feel compelled to test his taekwon-do moves on Roy or his team-mates.
Secondly, when he gave his interview on Canal+ and on TF1, I must admit that I felt I was listening to a 13 year-old. "Yes... What I did wasn't good... But he started it! I shouldn't really be punished because he started it! He was really nasty!". C'mon. Cut it out. You're 34, pal. The only player who make such mistakes as to reveal his extremely violent side and yet managed to retain my respect was Eric Cantona. Let's go back to the 25th of January 1995. Eric Cantona had won back-to-back league titles with Leeds and Manchester, and the previous season winning the Double, and he was the masterpiece of a succesful Manchester United side. And yet it would all smash down in the space of a few minutes. Cantona lashed out a kick at Shaw, the Palace defender, and was on the receiving end of a red card. But then the improbable, the unthinkable, and the unenviable happened. Taunted by a supporter, Cantona lost his temper, and launched a kung-fu kick at the abusive fan. This act was just as unsporting as Zidane's. However, Cantona made the perfect riposte : he never made any explanations. "When the seagulls follow the trailer, it is because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea". That's it. Later on, he would admit that he was "ashamed" of his "terrible" act, and that he wanted to present his "deepest excuses" and his "most profound regret" upon the incident. But he never asked for the fan to be in the wrong, nor for any lenience. He had faulted, and he admitted his mistake, for he knew that he was sole responsable for his acts. I'm dissapointed that Zidane, a player who was far more influential than Cantona in the footballing world, does not assume the consequences of his actions, and reacts like a young child, attempting by all means to reduce his fault and to incriminate others, and as such deresponsabilising himself from his acts.
But then again, perhaps that is what will come from "modern" football. Players who are more and more unstable, who assume less and less their acts, and who are sadly not as mature as once would expect a role model for society's youth to be.
But then again there's hope. If players like Lillian Thuram, Eric Cantona, George Best, Socrates and Edson Arantes do Nascimento were influential more than Ronaldo, Zidane, Rivaldo, Luis Figo and Ronaldinho, then perhaps there are others like me... Others who might have a bright future on the pitch, and will bring their calm and sense of purpose to the beautiful game.
posted by Unknown at 16:32
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