The Zidane mystery

I taly won the World Cup for the fourth time, but Zinedine Zindane seems to have emerged the bigger story.

I taly won the World Cup for the fourth time, but Zinedine Zindane seems to have emerged the bigger story. Several theories abound as to why he did what he did on that fateful night at Berlin8217;s Olympic Stadium and reporters have run to as far as his home village in Algeria.

Dirty terrorist?

Zidane was apparently called a 8220;dirty terrorist8221; by Marco Materazzi before he head-butted the Italy defender, the anti-racism group SoS Racism said on Monday, reports Reuters from Paris.

8220;According to several very well informed sources from the world of football, it would seem that the Italian player Marco Materazzi called Zinedine Zidane a 8217;dirty terrorist8217;,8221; SOS Racism said in a statement.

The Paris-based group called for an inquiry.

Materazzi, however, has denied this, adds Reuters from Rome. 8220;It is absolutely not true, I did not call him a terrorist. I8217;m ignorant. I don8217;t even know what the word means,8221; the Italian news agency Ansa quoted Materazzi as saying.

Tweaked thoughts

Jon Brodkin reports in The Guardian that 8220;there were suggestions that Materazzi had tweaked one of Zidane8217;s nipples and said something provocative to the retiring maestro. If true such behaviour was uncalled for but it neither excused Zidane8217;s retaliation nor is likely to have surprised Everton fans. To say Materazzi left the Premiership with a chequered disciplinary history would be putting it mildly. While at Goodison Park he was sent off three times in 27 appearances.8221;

Cafe Zizo

And up in the Algerian mountains where Zidane8217;s parents grew up, fans gathered in the Cafe Zizo to watch the French star8217;s farewell show. And they didn8217;t quite like what they saw, reports AP from Aguemoune, Algeria.

Atmanne Chelouah carried off a life-size cardboard cut-out of Zidane after seeing him red-carded. 8220;We are very disappointed,8221; he said. 8220;He should have kept his cool.8221;

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Zidane is a national hero in Algeria, despite being born in France. Many say that it is thanks to him that fans here cheer on the country that ruled Algeria for 132 years and fought eight bloody years to suppress its independence movement.

8220;Because of him we love France,8221; Zidane8217;s cousin Rabah said outside the family home, a new, modest structure in Aguemoune, 250 km East of capital Algiers. 8220;Zizou normally does not hit people,8221; he said. Materazzi 8220;must have said something serious.8221;