Materazzi reveals details of Zidane exchange:
Italy defender Marco Materazzi has revealed the content of the verbal exchange he had with Zinedine Zidane which led to the headbutt from the Frenchman and his sending off in July’s World Cup final.Materazzi said it was mention of Zidane’s sister which prompted the butt from the France midfielder which left Italy’s opponents down to 10 men before their defeat on penalties.
“I did not provoke him, I responded verbally to a provocation,” Materazzi told the daily Gazzetta dello Sport on Tuesday.
“We both spoke and I wasn’t the first. I held his shirt but don’t you think it is a provocation to say that ‘if you want my shirt I will give it you afterwards’?
“I replied to Zidane that I would prefer his sister, that is true. I brought up his sister and that wasn’t a nice thing, that is true,” said Materazzi.
“Thankfully there are tens of footballers who could confirm that much worse things are said on the field,” added the Inter Milan defender.