Zidane and Materazzi banned

**joeSoap** · 20/07/2006, 1:47 PM

from UEFA.com

Zidane and Materazzi banned and fined

14:29 Thursday July 20th 2006

Zinedine Zidane has been suspended for three matches and fined 7500 Swiss francs (4,774.74 euro) for his World Cup final headbutt on Italy's Marco Materazzi.
Materazzi has been banned for two matches and fined 5000 Swiss francs (3,183.16 euro) for his verbal abuse of the French captain who was playing his final game before retiring.

The penalties were imposed following hearings by FIFA's disciplinary committee in Zurich

**drinkfeckarse** · 20/07/2006, 2:09 PM

I disagree with Materazzi's ban. Verbal abuse goes on all the time and being wound up and winding someone up is part and parcel of the game.

Just because ZZ loses the plot and whinges about it doesn't mean that he should be able to justify his actions. FIFA by giving Materazzi a ban seem to think that it does.

I can't help thinking if this had been a player nobody had heard of ( in place of ZZ ), would we have seen Materazzi getting a ban???

**osarusan** · 20/07/2006, 3:56 PM

I think that a ban for verbal abuse is warranted if what was said at the time was of a certain nature, i.e. racist, etc. But the comment needs to be made clear to the public.

When the comments themselves remain unknown, possibly even to Fifa, we must trust the word of the person who retaliated, and it is difficult to imagine them not being biased.

**CraftyToePoke** · 20/07/2006, 4:32 PM

isnt this the same matterazzi who opened that villareal players eye in the cl game, with as nasty an elbow as you will ever see. dont recall too much fuss about that. rules seem to vary according to the occasion and the individuals involved.

**drinkfeckarse** · 21/07/2006, 7:44 AM

FIFA have stated the comment wasn't racist so we'd better all watch out, the next time you wind someone up on the pitch about their Mam or sister be careful or they might report you

**Block G Raptor** · 21/07/2006, 11:14 AM

Why the hell did they bother to ban zidane he's retired ffs

**drinkfeckarse** · 21/07/2006, 11:22 AM

Well he's still youngish and it's not unheard of for someone to make a comeback but still I suppose, hardly worth the cost of the hearing etc....

**Docboy** · 21/07/2006, 3:56 PM

Totally out of order banning Matterazi, FIFA just felt like they had to do something cos he must be guilty for the greatman Zidane to react that way. Opening up a can of worms there!

**pete** · 22/07/2006, 9:35 PM

Originally Posted by CraftyToePoke

isnt this the same matterazzi who opened that villareal players eye in the cl game, with as nasty an elbow as you will ever see. dont recall too much fuss about that. rules seem to vary according to the occasion and the individuals involved.

Yeah sure Zidane has also heatbutted players in the past too.

FIFA are now saying that its kinda ok if provoked but sure all violence on the pitch is provoked isn't it...