Zidane's head-butt (2)

Zinedine Zidane's head-butt during the World Cup final was a most dangerous foul.

I agree with Raymond Bencini's views in respect of Marco Materazzi's occasional unorthodox tactics.

I also agree that verbal insults hurled between two opposing players are regretfully part and parcel of the game of football and Zidane, who is considered as a footballing star, should have responded to the insults received in a similar manner.

According to Zidane, Materazzi insulted female members of his family and at no point were racism, politics or religion ever mentioned.

Was Dr Bencini's assertion that Zidane is "a Muslim of a humble Algerian origin" a feeble attempt to attract sympathy towards the perpetrator of the foul? I suspect that Dr Bencini utilised the latter part of his contribution with the intent of trying to ridicule the entire Italian world champion team, but in his haste to reach such a goal he failed to realise that Materazzi is spelt with one "t" and that the footballer's surname has no connection whatsoever with mattresses. Perhaps the contributor was referring to materassi (the plural for materasso).

This year's World Cup final provided us with two contrasting episodes - we witnessed Zidane's sad exit from international soccer, and the world's best defender Cannavaro (nicknamed the Wall of Berlin) celebrating his 100th international match by lifting the coveted World Cup as captain of the Italian team.