Good Marco Materazzi should be punished more because he is a dirty and bad player who got what he had coming to him. He can dish it out but he can't take it so he should stop crying about it and be fined a lot of money.

i agree with Chris S. D. Materazzi is a idiot. And i agree even though i an from italy and lived there for 15 years.

Yes, he is a very negative and agresive player. FIFA should fine him...

materazzi was just playing the game zidane shouldnt have dropped to such a low level zidane should be penetalized not materazzi

haven't any of you guys played sports before?? there is trash talk all the time, and Materazzi said he never called him a terrorist nor he mentioned his mother,what he said is said a thousand times on the field, Zidane is a great player but he's known to lose his temper,I'm not saying that Materazzi is a saint,but please,play the damn game and act like a professional,and why is this such a big deal and Totti suspended in euro 2004 is not. i guess everyone is ticked off that Italy won >

dude Zidane is a idiot. Who head butts the other person? be a man and punch him. I think the old guy forgot to take his meds. And if you disagree talk to Tony p this guy knows every thing about the situation, just read some of his past comments.

Ssalguod your a sell out to your own country and Chris S. D. i don't know why you post your comments you don't know what your talking about. I should head-butt both of you.

I think that anyone who says Matterazzi is an idiot or some b.s. like that, you have no idea what soccer is all about! everyone who plays on the pitch knows that every player messes with each other, we've all expierenced it first hand most likely! but none* of us. sunk down to Zidane's level. For a player of his caliber, he knows how low and how unnecessary it was. Doesnt matter what anyone does or says, PLAY THE GAME! settle your problems after the match

I think Matterazzi should be fined insulting Zidane as he is a black after all Fifa's effort to fight against racism.

I think Materazzi should be punished because he caused Zidane angry after Fifa's effort to fight against racism so he should be fined.

The only reason why Materazzi's comments are coming to light is because of what Zidane did. Otherwise, comments like that are made all the time. As a world class player, Zidane was probably used to a lot of this - he was probably frustrated that the game was going to penalty shots, it was his final game of his career and basically a 'little' comment was blown out of proportion.

HEY!!! DID YOU KNOW that Zidane has a black belt in karate. So what he actually did, WAS A CRIME. He is a weapon! and a professional killer. In Karate they teach you about discipline and only to defend yourself. What he did was battery and assalt. Opposite of what Karate stands for and what FIFA fairplay stands for, not to mention all the kids out there who will now copy him... its so sickening.. Viva La DISGRACE...

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/07/13/zidane_headbutt_outrage/

More video evidence

Once again there is a difference between trash talking and insulting someone's family and heritage. I'm pretty sure that anyone who is repeatly insulted in that fashion would have a reaction as well. We're all humans after all. It's easy to judge someone when you're looking at the incident from the outside. The bottom line is that Zidane would not have reacted that way had there not been a provocation harsh enough to grant a reaction. I'm sure both players will be disciplined for the incident and then we can all move on.

Materazzi should not be penalized for zizou stupid mistake. Things get said all the time anywhere. I have been treated fairly and called racial slurs in restaurants school etc. But I will never stoop to zizou lever. I take jujitsu and whoop there behinds but I choose to be a bigger person. That is what zizou should have done.

Give Zidane a break you people. If it was a regular league game nobody would have remembered it. This is my last comment on this issue.. I am tired of this.. I retire

Andi, thanks for the last link. Very funny.

Materazzi should be fined, he is a racist. I wish Zizou would have stepped on his groin when he was on the ground to really give him something to cry about. To sum it all up Italians dive way to much and besides Canavaro and Buffon(sorry for butchering there names) they are all dirty. Besides germany should have one it. In my eyes, what Zidane did will make him a even greater legend in all countries besides italy

Andi I agree with you I'm retiring from this post too,i feel bad for Zidane but he did lose his head, and a player of his caliber shouldn't.It's funny how Schweinsteiger makes that claim, when Italy beat his so deserving Germany who lucked out against Argentina since the ref was wearing a german shirt.just remember that 4 years ago Italy was robbed as so was Spain when they exited the WC against Korea,God only knows what players say to each other during a game I know when I played it was there. Now that France lost the guy that head butted a guy is the victim ?? I'm done here, God bless you all and may the beautiful game of soccer live on, overall I praise Italy for winning the cup even with all those problems at home.

Iam very glad Zidane is getting punished. FIfa said there going to take the golden ball from him. YES!!!

This is all FRANCE and the MEDIA'S FAULT!!! If Zidane wouldn't of opened his mouth in that interview, we wouldn't need to keep harping on this. He needs to take it like a man that he screwed up and move on. ITALY WON FAIR AND SQUARE, THEY WERE THE BEST DEFENSIVE TEAM THIS YEAR. Zidane was tired and frustrated that he couldn't score, Marco just added a little more fuel to his frustrations and he snapped. Leave him to his consolation prize and move on! Italy are the best of Europe, 4 time champions. Here we come Brazil! haha I wish :)

yea rite matrazii did say sumthing wrong to zidane thats why he had to do that ...good he did it!!!!

but itally did win and they deserved to win but zidanez golden career ended sadly cos of that MATARAZIII
HUHH!!

look, he did diss zidane about his family. but like others said, a player at that caliber should know how to control the situation. but he shouldnt of headbutted him in the first place, he even said regrets/apologizes about the incident. and materazzi didnt say anything racist to him. zidane shouldnt of lost his temper and reacted. im sure pay some fine. but materazzi got his consequence and that is gettin laid out in front of the world

Eli you stupid ugly American how dare you say I am selling out My own county, you know nothing about Me and have no right to judge me. Why don't you go hang out with idiot President and talk about how ignorant you both are and leave me alone.

I just read what Ssalguod said and i agree he should be fined and Eli does give Americans a bad name.

I have seen Materazzi play in the Italian serie A,and he is aggressive,vulgar and he once punched a player after a game,He's no saint that is for sure,but I can't accept that Zidane (whom I consider one of the best players in the decade) would be pacified for what he did. I read that the ref Elizondo stated that what ZIdane did was unexcusable and throughout the match there was trash talking all over the place,which is normal and there is no excuse,when you are a professional,an idol like Zidane you need to show a better example,regardless of how Materazzi and all the players may taunt you. I follow tha Italian serie A and I laugh when I see Totti fouled a million times and they taunt him,knowing he's going to retaliate and be sent off(which happened often),it's part of the game.I just hope Zidane will not be remembered for this.ciao

people, people !! am Zidane biggest fan but am not blaming Materazzi either, Zidane is still a legend!!! it just a set up, if u pay attention from the first minute of the game to the end it all set up!!! zidane p-kick, viera injury,zidane and materazzi drama ribery and henry subs eventhough they didn't take p-kick and trezegger p-kick missed, come on people stop the rage for nothing!!!

Well said Zidane's biggest fan, let's remember Zidane for what he did,not the incident in the final,both teams deserved to be there,if Italy won (just like France previously)and luck is on your side so be it.

Materazzi did nothing wrong since he did not violate Zindane physically. Sticks and stones as they say. Of much greater concern are those who PHYSICALLY harm others intentionally in this game. Zindane is a punk it turns out, thin skinned and weak, and arrogant to boot. True colors came through. Materazzi knew his weakness and exploited it WITHOUT the use of physical violence, BRAVO. Any attempt to harm Materazzi financially is mean spirited and without merit and purely revenge against the far smarter, pivotal and effective player.

yea i agree with most of you guys
Italy won whoopdidoo
they aren't doing too well now in the euro 2008s
but what zidane did wasnt the right reaction to the cheap pansy that materazzi is