12/21/24
September 05, 2006
How about your sister? : Materazzi reveals the remark that led to Zidane's famous head-butt.
posted by lil_brown_bat to soccer at 12:18 PM - 26 comments
If I was tossed out of a championship game for that reason, my sister would be angry at ME.
posted by roberts at 12:38 PM on September 05, 2006
"...and if he wants, Zidane knows how to find out my address," said Materazzi. Yeah, he just needs to ask his sister.
posted by tselson at 12:42 PM on September 05, 2006
I still don't see how it is a major provocation for Zidane to say that if Materazzi wanted his shirt, he should wait until after the game.
posted by holden at 12:47 PM on September 05, 2006
I think it was a brilliant comeback... Zidane: "If you want my shirt so bad, you can have it after the match...!" Materazzi: "Heh, I'd rather have your sister's shirt!" Next time somebody asks me if I want their shirt I'm using that line!
posted by karlo16 at 01:28 PM on September 05, 2006
karlo, Materazzi said he wanted his sister, not his sister's shirt. Try that at your next match and let me know how it goes. ;-)
posted by worldcup2002 at 02:07 PM on September 05, 2006
I imagine most professional footballers have heard a lot worse and not reacted.
posted by squealy at 02:33 PM on September 05, 2006
"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'? Pretty much sounds like Materazzi is a tool. I can't imagine a single scenario where Zidane's comment is a "provocation". I'm not condoning Zidane's actions at all. I'm totally green to World Cup but watched a few matches this year and was impressed more by Zidane's play than anyone else. So, I was really disappointed by his actions (even though I was alternatively impressed by how he handled his ejection - not arguing, even making a point to keep his teammates from arguing on his behalf). But, there's no doubt he handled it horribly. Regardless, after seeing the way Materazzi was playing and hearing about this and his own quotes - you'd have to talk long and hard to me to convince me he's not a complete jackass.
posted by littleLebowski at 02:39 PM on September 05, 2006
"Yeah, he just needs to ask his sister." Careful fella. Zizou's gonna get you ...
posted by walrus at 03:03 PM on September 05, 2006
I don't buy it. That's not enough to get me to stand up, let alone threaten my legacy... If I had a legacy to threaten.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 03:08 PM on September 05, 2006
I say bullshit. Maybe we have a lost in translation moment here, but looking at the youtube video, it seems that considerably more than that was said by both of them.
posted by psmealey at 04:55 PM on September 05, 2006
Agreed, smealey. At the time, lip readers noted quite a bit more than Materazzi is letting on. I think the "son of a terrorist whore" thing seemed to be the popular assessment. An attempt at gaining good PR for Materazzi ahead of the Euro qualifier against France.
posted by owlhouse at 08:44 PM on September 05, 2006
Maybe we have a lost in translation moment here, but looking at the youtube video, it seems that considerably more than that was said by both of them. I agree. I'm sure it was much worse. But it doesn't matter. Zidane never should have reacted IF ONLY because it was just what Materazzi wanted. And what a way to go! The last moments of an illustrious career spent being thrown out of the World Cup final and a good a reason as any as to why France lost. The only U.S. equivalent I can think of is Woody Hayes clotheslining the kid who made the interception in the bowl game. Zidane should be a cautionary tale for how not to end your career. As for Materazzi, he's a bozo. A bozo that can be ignored though.
posted by cjets at 10:11 PM on September 05, 2006
I thought they cleared this up weeks ago. What Materazzi actually said was: "Zizou, mate, there's a bee on your head!"
posted by JJ at 02:36 AM on September 06, 2006
Every time I read about these sort of verbals, I'm reminded of non-descript cricketer Eddo Brandes who came up with an answer for it far better than headbutting someone in the chest. Playing against Australia, the Zimbabwe tail-ender was waving his bat in the rough direction of deliveries from world class bowler Glenn McGrath. Finally getting frustrated that he couldn't get him out, MGrath got close to Brandes at the end of one run up and enquired "Why are you so fat?" Brandes answer? "Because everytime I [shag] your wife, she gives me a cookie."
posted by Mr Bismarck at 05:10 AM on September 06, 2006
Bismark - was it also Brandes who came to the crease accompanied by a volley of abuse from Mark Waugh about not being "a good enough cricketer to be on the same pitch with the best players in the world," and responed with: "I might not be the best player in the world, Mark, but at least I'm the best player in my family." Actually, no, it was Jimmy Ormond apparently. More sledging here.
posted by JJ at 05:57 AM on September 06, 2006
At the time, lip readers noted quite a bit more than Materazzi is letting on. I think the "son of a terrorist whore" thing seemed to be the popular assessment. And Zidane himself cleared that one up in his French interview - no terrar! slurs. And IIRC, the lipreaders who threw that rumour about were Brazilian. Whether or not Materazzi is an ass, as far as I'm concerned FIFA set a fantastically crappy precedent for penalizing the shit-talking player. Are they really going to throw penalties about like candy just because a player says "My grandmomma plays better than you & she dead."?! Really now... FYI Comments about one's sister (whether or not you know they have one) are the last stop before fisticuffs in Italian. It's a borderline thing where you might have a punch thrown at you, but more likely than not the other party will just reply with an insult to your sister. If you are looking for a real fight, though, that's when you bring in the mamma insults. The only other insult that I can think of that is almost equally offensive is saying someone is cornuto (cuckhold): the head banger's/Hook 'em Horns hand symbol (index & pinky finger up, other fingers in a fist) denotes cornuto and is a million times worse that flipping the bird. Strangely, the same hand gesture upside down with pinky & index resting on a flat surface wards off the evil eye. /random Italian insult info
posted by romakimmy at 08:22 AM on September 06, 2006
/looking for random Italian to practice my newfound knowledge on
posted by The_Black_Hand at 08:37 AM on September 06, 2006
Yo sister, TBH! ;)
posted by romakimmy at 08:42 AM on September 06, 2006
Strangely, the same hand gesture upside down with pinky & index resting on a flat surface wards off the evil eye. My mother wore this charm on a chain around her next for as long as she was alive. I still have it somewhere.
posted by scully at 09:04 AM on September 06, 2006
/Puts romakimmy's name on "The List."
posted by The_Black_Hand at 09:47 AM on September 06, 2006
An attempt at gaining good PR for Materazzi ahead of the Euro qualifier against France ding ding ding we have a winner! (perhaps he can go on Italy's equivalent of Oprah/Larry king and cry some)
posted by JohnSFO at 11:27 AM on September 06, 2006
The only U.S. equivalent I can think of is Woody Hayes clotheslining the kid who made the interception in the bowl game. Woody punched Charlie Bauman in the 1978 gator bowl
posted by jojomfd1 at 04:14 PM on September 06, 2006
Zidane's sister is a robot
posted by hawkguy at 07:53 PM on September 06, 2006
+1 hawkguy
posted by yerfatma at 11:04 AM on September 07, 2006
It's fascinating to me that cliche'd "your sister/mother" insults consitute fighting words in italy. Those are playground staples in the us, where the most creative riff on them earns uproarious laughter rather than violent reprisals.
posted by psmealey at 02:14 PM on September 07, 2006
Zidane now taking classes from Brady Quinn on how to better handle these type things.