A momentary lapse of reason?

France woke up with the bitter taste of defeat on Monday after their defeat to Italy in the World Cup final, but the question on everyone8217;s lips was: 8220;Why did Zinedine Zidane do it?8221;

France woke up with the bitter taste of defeat on Monday after their defeat to Italy in the World Cup final, but the question on everyone8217;s lips was: 8220;Why did Zinedine Zidane do it?8221;

In his last game for his country, the French captain was sent off for butting an opponent in the chest, an ignominious end to a glorious career which ensured he missed the penalty shoot-out that decided the game. 8220;The blue angel turned into a devil,8221; wrote daily newspaper Le Parisien. Nevertheless, the paper ran a 8220;Thank You8221; headline on its front page in tribute to the achievement of the unfancied national side that reached their second final in eight years despite being written off as too old.

Liberation8217;s front page saw the result as 8220;cruel8221; while Le Figaro lamented the 8220;Broken Dream of Les Bleus8221;. But the country8217;s top sports paper, L8217;Equipe, roasted Zidane in an editorial by Claude Droussent, who said Zidane8217;s 8220;stupid8221; assault on Italy defender Marco Materazzi was hard to forgive. 8220;Zinedine, the hardest thing this morning is not to try and understand why Les Bleus, lost the World Cup last night. 8220;But to explain to millions around the world how you could have let yourself go and head-butt Marco Materazzi. How could that happen to a man like you?8221; he asked.

The newspaper criticised Zidane for failing to take to the pitch after the game to collect his medal for France8217;s second place finish and console the team mates he had let down.

Zidane has yet to explain his action but his team mates, who have refused to divulge what was said to Zidane by Materazzi, praised the contribution of a player lauded as the best of his generation. 8220;All I want to say to Zizou is 8216;thank you8217;, and 8216;thank you8217;,8221; said striker Thierry Henry.

President Jacques Chirac, who on Sunday hailed Zidane8217;s contribution to the sport despite his red card, was due to host the players and coaching staff at a lunch later on Monday at his official Elysee Palace residence. But it remained unclear if the team would celebrate their unofficial title as world vice-champions with a parade down the Champs Elysee after coach Raymond Domenech was cool on the idea.

Sports Minister Jean-Francois Lamour said in the locker room after the game Zidane was 8220;totally devastated to have ended his very beautiful, very great career in that fashion8221;.

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8220;It8217;s a rather peculiar end for a champion who remains an exceptional champion,8221; he said.

Sunday8217;s illuminated display on the Arc de Triomphe, the celebrated Paris monument to French victories past, summed up the national mood of forgiveness for the flawed football icon: 8220;Zizou, we love you8221;.

Jon Boyle