WHO HONESTLY THINKS THAT ZIDANE DESERVES the GOLDEN BALL?

AFTER WHAT HE DID TO MARCO MATERAZZI I THINK HE DESERVES A REAL PUNISHMENT NOT JUST A RED CARD!!


PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE THAT MATERAZZI COULD OF BEEN SERIOUSLY HURT OR KILLED!!

WHO HONESTLY THINKS THAT ZIDANE DESERVES the GOLDEN BALL?
Before the game, I would have said he deserved it, but after what happened, I don't think he did. Soccer is not only about how good you play, but it's also about sportsmanship and he definately did not show that. Fabio Cannavaro DEFINATELY deserved it! Lol!!
Reply:Do any of you have any strong convictions? Have any of you been on the receiving end of a hateful comment, repeatedly. If not, then you should really think before you pass judgment. None of us really know what was said, and believe it or not there are some things that when said to you by some people make you act without the lluxury of reason. If it is true that Materazzi made a racial/religiously insensitive remark that made Zidane act that way then Zidane is beyond an ordinary soccer player. His action is going to be a catalyst for change! Fifa is trying to end such racist behaviour in football. Maybe Zidane's departure in such a manner will get them to do more about such disgraceful and abusive behaviour by some bigots they call football players. Then again, we all do not know what happened before the head butt. We can only speculate, but do so with some sensitivity. Remember, the next World cup is going to be in South Africa, and if you know anything about history you know what that nation symbolizes.
Reply:i think he deserves it because he headbutted materazzi because he called his sister a whore and then called him a terrorrist.
Reply:Zizu is a great player... but in this tournament he wasn't outstanding or anything. Most of his goals came from penalty shots. So he didn't make a real impact as far as this tournament goes in terms of scoring or play making.





And as far as sportsmanship?... its a shame he will forever be remembered for not being able to keep his cool.





So what are we left with?.... defiantly not deserving of a Golden Ball award for this tournament.
Reply:I agree with you Juventina that Cannavaro was awesome throughout the World Cup, but no one can deny what Zizou did for France. Coming out of retirement and getting France into the WC 2006, then brilliantly leading France by Spain, then Brazil, then Portugal....at the age of 34.


His head butt was the height of stupidity, but this Italian guy doesn't have a problem with Zizou getting the GOLDEN BALL.
Reply:i don't think he deserves it.... i hate france players because they aren't honest players...
Reply:I do.
Reply:The Golden Ball of course should go to Brazilian Ronaldo for scoring more goals than Pele' himself!





Fifa are just a bunch of Cowboys.





Zidane deserves 6 months in prison as an example to young kids for a better world. Kids know that was his 12th head butt not the first.





Incidentally I have spoken to an UK policeman who says if that had happened in the street they'd be BOTH responsible, of course he was meaning with the italian guy being Italian, not English.


This is the kind of attitude that causes wars in the world.





The reason why lesser nations bash Italy is mainly envy and hypocrisy, it has always been like this and it is very apparent as soon as you learn a few words of english, just remember one thing: all these bashers DO NOT MAKE USE OF A BIDET. These people are all full of cling ons, their women spend hours in the baking heat sitting down in offices, going to the toilet 5 times a day and DO NOT WASH think what that must smell like at the end of the day, enough said :-)
Reply:Who gives a S**t if Materazzi left in a body bag.


IF FIFA Gave Zidane the Golden Ball it's because he is the BEST PLAYER. If the governing body of Soccer recognize talent and greatness. Who is you to question them???????????
Reply:Juventina, I'm an Italian fan but also a Juventus fan (I love Zidane!). The FIFA will have to decide if they want to take away his award for what he did. The Award was decided before the end of the game.


Also, let's be happy that FIFA authorized De Rossi to play the final after what he did to Mc Bride...
Reply:HE DESERVED ALL GOLDEN BALLS OF THE WORLD! HE THE ONLY ONE!
Reply:You are a baby girl and you do not uderstand what men's world is. In men's world if you get an insult you fight. You protect yourself, your honour and your pride. Zidane acted like a MAN. Materazzi acted like an a++hole. That's the difference.
Reply:The golden ball is not only for what you do in the final game.


I think that ether ZIDANE or PIRLO should get it.


CANAVARRO is a good player but he should had also been red carded because of what he did to Henry. Accident? Tell that to somebody that didn't watch the game.
Reply:he called him a dirty terrorist


The Paris-based anti-racism advocacy group SOS-Racism issued a statement Monday quoting "several very well informed sources from the world of football" as saying Materazzi called Zidane a "dirty terrorist." It demanded that FIFA, soccer's world governing body, investigate and take any appropriate action.





FIFA, which reviews all red cards at the World Cup, would not comment on the specifics.





"This is a disciplinary matter now. I can't give any statements now," FIFA spokesman Markus Siegler said.





Materazzi, meanwhile, was quoted as denying the terrorist comment.





"It is absolutely not true, I didn't call him a terrorist, I don't know anything about that," the Italian news agency ANSA quoted Materazzi as saying when he arrived with his team at an Italian military airfield.





"What happened is what all the world saw live on TV," the Italian player said, referring to the head-butting.





Zidane's agent, Alain Migliaccio, was quoted by the BBC as saying the France captain told him the Italian "said something very serious to him, but he wouldn't tell me what."





Whatever it was, it was enough to infuriate Zidane.





"Zizou is someone who reacts to things," said Aime Jacquet, Zidane's coach at the 1998 World Cup. "Unfortunately he could not control himself. It's terrible to see him leave this way."





Even with the ejection, Zidane still won the Golden Ball as the World Cup's best player.





Zidane, who came out of retirement to help France qualify for the World Cup and said he would quit soccer completely after the tournament, got 2,012 points in the vote by journalists covering the tournament. The three-time player of the year beat Fabio Cannavaro (1,977) and Andrea Pirlo (715), both of Italy.





Zidane's red card was anything but unusual. He was sent off 14 times in his career at the club and international level.





At the 1998 World Cup, he stomped on a Saudi Arabian opponent. Sitting out a two-match ban, he came back to score two goals against Brazil in the final.





Five years ago with Juventus, he head-butted an opponent in a Champions League match against Hamburger SV after being tackled from behind.





The reaction to Sunday's outburst was mixed in France. President Jacques Chirac called Zidane "a genius of world football," and former Sports Minister Marie-George Buffet said Zidane's aggressive act was unforgivable for its effect on children watching the game.





"This morning, Zinedine, what do we tell our children, and all those for whom you were the living role model for all times?" French sports daily L'Equipe wrote.





Zidane, whose parents emigrated to France from Algeria, became a proud symbol of a multicultural France and is adored in Algeria.





In the mountains where Zidane's parents grew up, Atmanne Chelouah carried off a life-size cardboard cutout of the player at "Cafe Zizou" after the red card.





"We are very disappointed," Chelouah said. "He should have kept his cool."





But lashing out is nothing new to Zidane, who grew up playing on concrete in an impoverished immigrant neighborhood of Marseille, where fouls and insults are met with instant retribution.





Perhaps he could never shake off that you-or-me mentality.





"You can take the man out of the rough neighborhood, but you can't take the rough neighborhood out of the man," striker Thierry Henry said Sunday.





At this year's World Cup, where Zidane sat out one match for getting two yellow cards in the first round, he sent a message to his teammates. In a rare television interview, he said, "We die together."





They were ready to go as far as they could for him, yet he punished them.





"He'll carry that weight for a long time," France coach Raymond Domenech said of Zidane's latest red card.





Zidane nearly won the match with a late header after giving France an early lead with a penalty, taking two steps forward to slowly chip the ball into the air while goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon dived to his right.





It was his third goal of the tournament and sixth in the last 10 major tournament matches. He scored three at the 2004 European Championship.





Zidane's teammates had all wanted to help him to one last trophy. Failing that, they refused to kick him when he was down.





"For all that Zidane has done for the national team, you have to say 'Thank you and well done,"' said striker David Trezeguet, the only player to miss his penalty kick in the shootout.
Reply:totally agree. canavaro deserved it, but it seems fifa is rewarding foul play.





and lother mattheus had the cheek to say ronaldo didnt win young player becuase he dived too much.
Reply:i do too!!!


have u ever seen how materazzi plays?? he almost killed other players too!! when was the first time u saw this man play (Materrazi ofcourse)??
Reply:Did you watch the rest of the match? In soccer you have high kicks, headers, slide tackles, and even punches thrown. Without a doubt Materazzi could have been hurt, but did you see how many other players got hurt during the game? Zidane played with possibly a separated shoulder and Henry was knocked in the head at the start of the match yesterday. I believe Materazzi may have instigated it the head-butt. Regardless, the fault is completely on Zidane for a unprofessional move.





I think Zidane deserves the Golden Ball, but I would have voted for David Beckham.





FYI Golden Ball is for best overall player, there's separate award for sportsmanship. He scored more goals than Fabio and Pirlo combined.
Reply:It is absolutely absurd that he was awarded the golden ball!!!


Juventina-don't let the turkeys get you down.


Remember-belli abbiamo vinto!!!!!!!
Reply:I dooooooooooooooooooo
Reply:I whole-heartedly agree with you.





Zidane's behavior show that he did not deserve that I don't care how well he played he should also be a model of good sportsmanship.





There were plenty of players who played just as well as he did that didn't act as immature as he did. I mean, with a position and standing like that, people look up to you. What kind of role model are you when you deliver a potentially deadly headbutt to the chest? There's an article I read where someone said, "How are we supposed to explain his behavior to our children who look up to him as a living legend?"
Reply:i believe he should be made president of france
Reply:Mamita K


Maybe you are confused about two things: life and soccer.


Life: if a person react like a "MAN" for any wrong word or wrong doing, we would be fighting in any part of the world.


Soccer: physical reaction towards any player or an official, is automatically punished with a red card.





About Zidane, try to explain to a kid that kind of action/reaction!!!


It is absolutely a non-sense to give an award to Zidane.


He was not the best player, he played a couple of good games (Brasil and Portugal) while other players had better performances... then again, when I read comments like "he scored more goals than Cannavaro and Pirlo together" I understand that many answerers may talk about something that has nothing to do about soccer, because if your decision on giving the golden ball is based on goals scored... well, probably we are talking about different things.





Juventina:


va bene cosi`, ci sono tanti che sono delusi per la scofitta e tantissimi altri che non hanno la minima idea di cosa parlano, aprono la bocca solo per dire qualcosa. Comunque sia, noi abbiamo la Coppa... loro niente.


Riguardo Materazzi, lui e` comunque un idiota, ma cio` non giustifica l'atteggiamento (recidivo) di Zidane.


Zidane = great player, little man.
Reply:I honestly think he deserved the golden ball. Even after the last game I think he deserves it. You seem to be leaving out the nice little fact that Materazzi provoked Zizou. I think it was a low blow for him to target Zizou in his last game. I also think that Materazzi is the one who deserves punishment. Yeah, Materazzi was so crucially injured that he was able to jump up and play for the rest of the game. Cry me a river.
Reply:he did kind mess up, i think there were others who deserved it best, nothing to do with the fair play policy of FIFA





oh yea! viva italia!!!!! ciao world champions 2006
Reply:I don't. Pirlo or Cannavaro deserve it more.
Reply:He was a true football gladiator.He give us lots of happiness and sadness.Finally he was one of the biggest player of all time.Yes he deserves the golden ball.
Reply:I agree he should not have been given the golden ball it should have gone to an Italian player like carnavaro or buffon
Reply:he does not deserve the golden ball because his behavior was not appropriate and was physically dangerous to the health of the other player...not the kind of role model that international soccer needs at this time...makes it look as if soccer is for bullies and they get awards for being the best bully.
Reply:i agree with you . fifa always says they want "fair play" in football . with this action ( giving the golden ball to zidane ) we can understand they aren't honest .
Reply:i don't
Reply:Zidane was barely noticeable except for a few games. He probably won the Golden Ball Award on reputation and because he is retiring.

children shoes