Materazzi comes clean
2007-08-20 08:02
Rome - Italy's Soccer World Cup winning defender Marco Materazzi revealed on Saturday that he had told French icon Zinedine Zidane during last year's final that he preferred his "whore of a sister" to his shirt.
It was this comment that led to Zidane head-butting Materazzi in the chest and being dramatically sent off. That incident preceded France losing the final in a penalty shootout.
Materazzi's exact words were quoted as being "Preferisco la puttana di tua sorella." Translation: "I prefer the whore that is your sister."
Materazzi, who has previously refused to divulge exactly what he had said to make Zidane react so angrily, made his revelations to Italian magazine "TV Sorrisi e Canzoni", which is due to be published on Monday.
The uncompromising Inter Milan central defender - who scored in the final and one of the penalties in the shootout - had previously made a different statement.
"I held his shirt for only a few seconds, he (Zidane) turned to me and spoke to me in a manic fashion, looked at me arrogantly from top to bottom and said 'if you want my shirt you can have it after the match'.
"I responded with an insult, that is true," said Materazzi.
Zidane - who retired after the World Cup - had previously said that Materazzi's remarks had been personal and concerned his mother and his sister.
The former Everton defender, who France coach Raymond Domenech said earlier this month had been the man of the match in the final, later on Saturday denied he had given the interview to the magazine.
"I would like to emphasise that the phrase used by "TV Sorrisi e Canzoni" is not part of an interview I gave to them, but comes from my autobiography which is coming out at the beginning of September," he said.
"I will not speak about my book until it is released on August 30 in Milan.
"Any other revelations before this date will be considered as being non-authorised."
Materazzi's book will come out just over a week before the Italians face France in Milan in a Euro 2008 qualifier - the French won the first match 3-1.
- AFP