Former France midfielder Zinedine Zidane addressed the infamous headbutt he gave Italy defender Marco Materazzi in 2006 World Cup Final: I’m not proud of it.
The former Juventus star was sent off in extra time during the clash after he headbutted Materazzi in the chest in what was his last-ever act as a professional because he retired from football after the match.
The score was 1-1 at the time at Italy won on penalties in Berlin to claim their fourth World Cup.
Speaking to Telefoot in a show ahead of his 50th birthday on June 23, he said of the incident: “I’m not at all proud of what I did but it’s part of it’s part of my past.”
Earlier in the match, Zidane had opened the scoring with a penalty on seven minutes which had chipped over Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and asked why he chose that method, he added: “It was the start of the match and I thought there would still be enough time.
“I had a second or two to think about how to take it: I had in front of me a goalkeeper who knows me really well so I had to think of something.
“In that effort, there was certainly technique, I don’t think there was madness. You can miss a penalty but in that moment it is what I had to do.”
Zidane also spoke about his career highlight, winning the 1998 World Cup on home soil. France knocked Italy out on penalties in the quarter-finals en route to victory.