Some players have had it all; World Cup and Euro winners medals as the focal point of the greatest team his nation ever had, umpteen league and cup winners medals in three different countries, and one of the all time great Champions League final goals. Even a World Cup golden ball in 2006, his career swansong. In spite of this, one of the most vivid memories many will have one Zinedine Zidane, the finest no. 10 of his generation, is the remarkable headbutt he landed in the chest on Italy's perennial shite-stirrer Marco Materazzi. A shameful end to one of the greatest individual tournaments, and careers - Zidane had already announced his retirement from all football after the 2006 World Cup - a game which France would lose to Italy on penalties 5-3. Zidane had already scored in the final before, of all people, Materazzi equalised, but his sending-off sapped all the energy from a wonderful France team - the last tournaments of Thuram, Makelele and Vieira - who were visibly beaten even before the first penalty kick.
TOMORROW: One of the greatest World Cup goals of all time, from one of the most unlikely sources...
N.B. The BBC have started doing this very same feature. They, however, begun it on Monday 31 May 2010, whereas I begun it on Sunday 30 May, and actually wrote the first article on Saturday 29 May. Chesworth 1, BBC 0.
N.B. I love the BBC and would lay down my life to support the licence fee. But, however, in this scenario, I believe I am entitled to a bit of one-upmanship. Cheers!
Tuesday, 1 June 2010
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