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Zidane turns down Materazzi
12/03/2007 19:09 - (SA)
Brussels - Zinedine Zidane has turned
down the opportunity to take to the pitch with Marco Materazzi
for the first time since the former French player headbutted the
Italian defender in last year's World Cup final.
The former World Cup winner, who ended his career with a red
card after thrusting his head into Materazzi's chest, declined
the offer to line-up alongside the Inter Milan player in a
commemorative match on Tuesday.
Italy's World Cup winning coach Marcello Lippi, who is in
charge of a Europe XI for the game against Manchester United at
Old Trafford to mark the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome,
said he did not regard Zidane's decision as a personal snub.
"Uefa sent the invite, not me. But it came back negative at
the last minute," Lippi told a news conference on Monday at the
official launch of the game which also mark's United's 50 years
of participation in European competition.
Materazzi will appear for the European side in front of a
sell-out crowd along with Barcelona's Ronaldinho and Liverpool's
Steven Gerrard.
- Reuters
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