It was a great chance to become the ‘Great Capricorn of All Time.’ However, he kicked the opportunity. He did something reckless and didn’t do what he shouldn’t. It was to protect his family. Capricorn’s honor went to someone else.
This is the story of the great French legend Zinedine Zidane. Give Me Sports in the U.K. reported in detail about Zidane’s rejection of “GOAT.” It is a very famous incident in the world. It happened to Zidane’s head bump during the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
Zidane led his country France to its first-ever World Cup victory in the 1998 World Cup in France. World soccer was dominated by France’s ‘Art Soccer.’ France became a team of its time by winning the Euro 2000. The soccer that sublimated soccer into art, the art Soccer’s conductor was none other than Zidane.
After his dismal failure in the 2002 World Cup Korea-Japan, Zidane announced his retirement from the national team. Then France lost its power. It kept falling. France reached for the legend again. It buried the last flame. Zidane grabbed his hand. They went to the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
France was not a competitor for the title. They were not that afraid of the old Zidane. However, Zidane showed the greatest performance in history. He almost single-handedly led the team to the final. In particular, the quarterfinal match against Brazil is considered to be Zidane’s greatest match of all time. Zidane’s performance, which cooked Brazil, where the strongest members were, was the epitome of greatness. In 2006, Brazil was the No. 0 contender for the title. They had Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, and Cacca. This time Brazil lost. It wasn’t for France. It was for Zidane.
The final opponent was Italy. The match was close. Zidane scored a goal and Italy’s Marco Materachi tied the game. The two teams could not determine the winner after 90 minutes, and Italy won the penalty shootout.
The “Event of the Century” happened in the match. It was Zidane’s head-to-head match. It was a shocking incident. In the extra time, Zidane was sent off after hitting Materachi’s chest with his head. It was a head-to-head match for Zidane to win the World Cup. The departure of the French ace and captain became the driving force behind Italy’s victory.
Materachi insulted Zidane’s family. What on earth did Materachi say? Here’s what Materachi himself said.
“My trash talk was nothing compared to what I’m doing in the NBA. Zidane offered me a uniform. I said, ‘No, I prefer your sister.'”
Zidane had to make a public apology upon his return to France.
The media outlet said, “Unfortunately, Zidane, an impeccable French genius, collapsed in a moment of madness. His career ended in disgrace. Had Zidane, who has the Ballon d’Or, the UEFA Champions League, the World Cup, and the Euro, won two World Cups, he could have become the GOAT. He could have stood shoulder to shoulder with Pele and Diego Maradona. However, the end was the most bitter. It happened a few minutes before he became the GOAT. Because of this, he moved away from being the GOAT. He ended his career in disgrace.”
He added, “Although it didn’t end like a fairy tale, it was a scene that made him feel a greater sense of humanity. There were some people who respected him more because of it.”
