Pity about Zidane

What we do know, however is what international media are calling Zidane’s “moment of madness.”

In a spilt-second, he shattered the expectations of millions of fans who were looking up to him as their role model. He had to leave the pitch in disgrace after such a successful career.

This was no ordinary foul where players get tangled up or someone stretches forth a leg to deliberately stop another player or even tugging at a shirt. Zidane’s headbutt was so forceful that it felled Materazzi.

Any excuse that he might have been provoked is surely weakened by the fact his assault was not instantaneous and in the heat of the moment, but came after he had at first walked away from Materazzi, pressumably had time to think things over, then turned back and butted him.

We say it is tragic that Zidane has ended his illustrious career by being sent off the field of the World Cup Finals in front of an estimated one billion people watching world-wide, with the red card debarring him from even returning to collect his silver medal after the match.

Sadly this incident is what Zidane will be remembered for, just like England’s Wayne Rooney’s last act this tournament was stomping an opponent’s groin and England’s Peter Crouch pulling Brent Sancho’s dreadlocks to score against Trinidad and Tobago. In time Zidane’s headbutt will become the stuff of infamous legend just like Argentina’s Diego Maradona’s 1986 “hand of God” goal.

This incident overshadows the praises given Zidane by the FIFA website as: “His superb passes, magical feints and all-round inspiration took France into the last four, where a solid performance and a clinical penalty helped Les Bleus dispose of Portugal.”

Zidane has been roundly and rightly condemned by most international media.

Those hoping to defend Zidane have suggested that he lost his cool over a racial slur.

France’s football team was a model mix of ethnicities – players of African, European and Arab descent – who seemed to unite a multi-racial country which has seen some ethnic tensions. If Materazzi made a racist remark, we say it is a great pity that Zidane fell for it. He really should have kept his eye on the goal of winning the tournament.

There are reports that France is rallying behind Zidane. Our hope is that the incident may have a silver lining for France. If indeed a racist remark was made, and if France rallies behind Zidane, maybe this strange incident could somehow help heal some of the ethnic tensions in that country.

The greatest irony of all is the world’s journalists covering the World Cup voted Zidane for the Golden Ball Award as best player of the tournament!

Journalists are supposed to be a very savvy bunch, who know a lot more than ever reaches the pages of their newspapers.

But they would have made their decision before the great butt. Trinidad and Tobago’s Soca Warriors out of all 32 teams, were named the tournament’s best behaved team. So while the so-called great teams of the World Cup at times descended to violence to try to win, the Soca Warriors truly exemplified the noble ideal of what good sportsmanship is really all about. Sometimes it pays to be small and the underdogs.