Twenty years after his infamous World Cup final headbutt, Zidane faces Italy again as France coach
- On Friday, France coach Zinedine Zidane returns to the Stade de France for his first home match, hosting Italy in a UEFA Nations League game before nearly 80,000 fans.
- France appointed Zidane in late July, succeeding former teammate Didier Deschamps, who stepped down after 14 years in charge following the World Cup in North America.
- Although 20 years have passed, the 2006 headbutt incident remains one of soccer's most iconic moments, yet Zidane tries to "think more about the positives" of his career.
- French players Esteban Lepaul and Manu Kone have expressed admiration for the manager's training sessions, while the squad prepares without captain Kylian Mbappe, who returned to Real Madrid.
- Reflecting on his past, Zidane stated he is "not proud of what happened" in 2006 but acknowledges it as part of his career, saying "you can't only do wonderful things.
105 Articles
105 Articles
France and Italy will be measured this Friday, October 2, by the third date of the Nations League.
Zinédine Zidane's head kick against Marco Materazzi is football folklore, we remember: Zidane flies off the pitch, France loses the finale, Italy is world champion. What does he think about it today?
20 years after the 2006 World Cup final, the French coach spoke about his expulsion and revealed that he never talked to the Italian defender again.
Zidane 'no regrets' about Materazzi headbutt as France face Italy again
"The images will always be there to remind me of what happened in 2006, because they are always being shown," Zidane smiled when asked about the incident which led to him being sent off in extra time in what was his last ever match as a player. "Fortunately that is not the only thing I did and there were other nicer things, so I try to think more about the positives," Zidane said at a press conference at the Stade de France, where Les Bleus host…
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