Unless there is a proof that he verbally assaulted Zizou, none.

of course, what kind of question do you ask? Don't you know that Lippi (the italian coach) smokes cigars so he can make smoke signs to his players??? :lol: :lol:

I've heard many stories concerning what Materazzi said to Zidane:

a) "Nice shirt. Why don't you come to play for Inter?"
b) "You are a terrorist"
c) "Your sister is a whore"
d) "Son of a terrorist whore"

But in the end, who physically assaulted who?
And he even got the golden football for best player of the WC...so much for the fair play policy of FIFA...

It wouldn't have made a difference... Trezeguet would just have been bumped to 3rd in the lineup. Poor Trezeguet... he gets all the blame. France should have just stepped it up after Italy scored instead of resting on their laurels from that first goal.

There are so many versions now what was said and what not... We don'T know how the match would have been different without that red card. Zidane leaving had it's influence for sure. It would not have been the same situation during the shootout: different thoughts on everybody's mind.

The whole finale had not much of a taste. the match was not really big fun to watch. The crown was decided by a shootout. The audience asks itself: why then 4 weeks of tournament - just to decide it by throwing a coing then? It is not satisfying to see it ending in the way it did. Zidane loosing control, after having been provoced by an Italian. While it was also Italy that helped to get a German player banned before, under circumstances for which FIFA president meanwhile has apologized, and leaving out the fact that that player also has been provoced before. All this may be coincidental, or not. But there were finals and winners in the past that you remember. This one has not one of these, however. The only thing that will be remembered is the Zidane-issue, and the four weeks before.

It was a nice and beautiful party over here. It should have deserved a better final, many people think over here. and we do not mean by that that Germany necessarily should have been in the finals. Just a better match.

Concerning Zidane, as a trainer and pro i would almost kill him. I would demand more dicipline under all circumstances. Loosujng control because of words is not acceptable. On the othe rhand I have seen a fiolm about his biography, and the hard times he faced, too. As a human, I still respect him, and spit at the someone who thinks it was a good idea to bring a good perfomrer down by playin dirty tricks on him. That Zidane lost control is as unacceptable to me as is the provocation that took place before, no matter what it was.

Oh yes, I was waiting just for this, the usual anti-italian rant by the usual sore loosers who, for reasons unknown, think they only can play soccer.
Just to refresh your memory:

during the past Euro soccer tournament in 2004, when the italian player F. Totti spit on the danish player C. Paulsen during the match Denmark-Italy, Totti, correctly was expelled and sanctioned. Totti reacted to what he thought to be an offense by the danish player. Nobody excused him. And rightfully so. Whatever a player may have said, it doesn't excuse such behavior. Paulsen was never sanctioned for what he may o may not have said to Totti.
As for that Frings of yours, the italian football federation did not pass to FIFA the video sequence showing the punch. It was Italian Sky TV. So please spare me the conspiracy theories.
You guys are unbelievable...France scored the only goal of the match on an inexistent penalty (the guy threw himself on the ground), the second goal of Italy has been annulled for offside of a player who did not participate in the action, we got one post plus another couple of dangerous actions while France had a grand total of 2, maybe even 3 (sic!), shots on goal...and here instead:

As for that S.O.aB. of the FIFA president who so promptly apologized for the Fings accident, he was supposed to give the World Cup to the winning team. Instead he was probably counseling the poor Zidane, or Platini, or somebody of the like.
If you can't stand the pain of defeat, don't play.

Some of you must've just started watching football. :roll:

Tell me a thrilling final...go on...when was the last one? 2002? A dominant Brazilian side...hardly a "classic"...more a forgone conclusion. 1998? When the Brazilians strangely played "under par"? Depressed Ronaldo...remember? 1994? Brazil beating Italy in penalties? 1990? Germany winning with 1 penatly against Argentina...very thrilling. :roll:

Finals are traditionally not good...oh and...what about when France kicked out Italy in the semi-final on penalties in 1998, then went on to win the cup. Did they deserve it...considering they only beat Italy on penalties...or how about Brazil in 1994, did they deserve it...they won the final on penalties against Italy...

Italy deserve it. They only took 2 goals...one an own goal and one a penalty...that must be some sort of record. They'll go down as the best defence of any team throughout history. Buffon is the best goalkeeper...proabably ever...certainly the most expensive (60 million Euro..just the transfer see...without his wages).

Throughout history teams with very good goalkeepers win tournaments. Brazil with Tafarrel, Italy Zoff and Buffon, France had Barthez who at the time was winning with Manchester United (not the jaded and finished Barthez of today)....

Italy deserved it...if Brazil have made an art form of attack, then Italy have made an art form of defence. They are both equally part of the game.

FORZA ITALIA!

EDIT: Oh and, we handed the German's arse on a plate before the World Cup in Florence 4-1 and in Germany it should've been 4-0 (with a post and a bar plus the two goals.) So I think the score gainst Germany was correct. Zidane...LOL....being provoked like a small child. What an imbecile. Glad it happened. LOL

Agreed.

Agreed by someone who doesn't watch football. :hmm:

Agreed?

:roll:

[quote=aaken]Like the italian who hooked his leg behind the laying Aussie? :)
Oh and you forget the second penalty not seen by the referee ( Materazzi vs Malouda ).
The shooter was in ofside position too!

That's debatable

No, it isn't! :nope:

Fish...I don't think Toni was offside either...look at it properly...I think it was Perotta if I'm not mistaken...in a passive offside. 99 out of 100 they'd have allowed the goal. The first penalty definitely wasn't a penalty for France, Materazzi retracts his leg so he was clearly not at fault for the collision...the second probably was a penalty....so it evens out.

The Australian guy throws himself on the floor, if you go to ground like he does, and you don't leave any space for the person to jump you without him touching you, that at the least is obstruction, because you're taking away space for his trailing leg...so it would be a penalty either way. Otherwise everyone would just throw themselves on the ground in front of an attacking player in the penalty area... :up:

I think it's one of the things what made football as it is, the discusions afterwards.
With a drink at hand of course. :up: