Why Today I Wear My Zidane Jersey
Why Today I Wear My Zidane Jersey
By Dave Zirin
Imagine Michael Jordan in his last game, with the
score tied in overtime, knocking out his defender with
a punch to the throat. Imagine Derek Jeter in game
seven of the World Series, at bat with the bases
loaded, thrashing the opposing team's catcher over the
head with his bat. Our collective shock would only be
exceeded by disappointment. No one, fan or foe, would
want to a see a great player end their career in an
act that speaks to the worst impulses of sports: when
hard competition spills over into violence.
Now imagine if Jordan and Jeter claimed they were
provoked with a racial slur. Does their violence
become understandable? Even excusable? Herein lies the
case of French National team captain, the great
Zinedine Zidane. Zidane, competing in his last
professional match, was kicked out of the World Cup
final in overtime for flattening Italian player Marco
Materazzi with the head-butt heard around the world.
Zidane, or Zissou as he is known, became the first
captain ever ejected from a World Cup championship
match. The announcers denounced Zissou for committing
a "classless act and the French team withered,
eventually losing to a demonstrably inferior Italian
squad in overtime. The following morning the
international tabloids with their typical grace, gave
Zissou a new nickname: "butt-head.” Less examined was
the fact that Zissou was literally carrying a lightly
regarded French team to the finals. Less examined was
the fact that Zissou had been grabbed, kicked, and
fouled all game by the vaunted Italian defense. Less
examined was the fact that Zissou had almost left
minutes earlier due to injury, his arm wilting off his
shoulder like a wet leaf of spinach. This unholy
amount of pressure is the primary reason the
34-year-old veteran snapped and planted Materazzi into
the pitch.
Now the great mystery is what set Zissou off. What
could Materazzi have possibly said to send him over
the edge? Answers are beginning to filter out.
According to a FIFA employee transcribing what was
said during the match, Materazzi’s called Zissou a
“big Algerian shit.” A Brazilian television program
that claims to have used a lip-reader said Materazzi
called Zissou’s sister “a whore.” The highly respected
French anti-racist coalition SOS Racisme issued a
press release stating, "According to several very well
informed sources from the world of football, it would
seem [Materazzi] called Zissou a 'dirty terrorist'."
Materazzi, in an answer that can only be called
Clintonian, said, "It is absolutely not true. I didn't
call him a terrorist.” Of course he didn’t comment on
what he did call him. Zissou himself has only said
cryptically that he would reveal what Materazzi said
"in the coming days."
Right now, we do not know beyond a shadow of a doubt
what was said but all the circumstantial evidence
points at least toward a variant of SOS Racisme's
claim. Zissou is the son of Algerian immigrants who
has sparred verbally with Europe's far-right political
machine for more than a decade. He is an outspoken
anti-racist on a team that has defined itself by its
multiculturalism and stubborn insistence to stand up
against bigotry both inside and outside the sport.
Materazzi on the other hand, will be playing this year
for the Italian team Lazio, where his father was the
former coach. Lazio's fan club, The Ultras, are
notorious for their Fascist-friendly politics. Lazio's
hardcore Ultras, known as the "Irriducibili," have
members in Italy's extra-parliamentary far right and
try to use the club to recruit. The group has
frequently uses racist and anti-Semitic banners, one
time hanging a 50-foot banner that said their
opponents were a "team of niggers."
It’s wrong to taint Materazzi for the actions of
Lazio’s fans, but there is more. Earlier this season
in a match that pitted Messina against Inter in
Sicily, Messina's star African player Marc Zoro
famously picked up the ball and walked off the pitch
in protest of the monkey chants rained upon him by
Inter supporters. In a stirring act of solidarity,
many of the Inter players immediately showed support
for Zoro's actions. But one opponent yelled, "Stop
that, Zoro, you're just trying to make a name for
yourself." That opponent's name was Marco Materazzi.
At the start of this tournament I wrote a soccer
column with my colleague John Cox, called Racism
Stalks the Cup. We expressed our concern that the
monkey chants, banana peels, and peanuts raining down
on African players this year would continue on the
sport's grandest stage. This largely did not occur.
But then in the final act, at the moment of most
exquisite tension, it seems racism may have actually
emerged from the shadows. I, for one, am damn glad
that when it did, it ran smack into Zissou's beautiful
head.
We don’t know with iron certainty what Materazzi said,
but if it turns out to be more of the anti-Black,
anti-Muslim, garbage that has infected soccer like a
virus, the Italian team should forfeit the cup. They
should voluntarily give the greatest trophy of them
all back to FIFA as a statement that some things in
this world are more important than sports. Racism will
be the death of soccer if things don’t change. Italy
can set the sport back on course, with one simple,
stunning gesture. Give the damn thing back.
Dave Zirin is the author of "What's My Name Fool?
Sports and Resistance in the United States" (Haymarket
Books.) You can receive his column Edge of Sports,
every week by e-mailing
edgeofsports-subscribe@zirin.com. Contact him at
whatsmynamefool2005@yahoo.com.
Be Zidane!
By Dave Zirin
Imagine Michael Jordan in his last game, with the
score tied in overtime, knocking out his defender with
a punch to the throat. Imagine Derek Jeter in game
seven of the World Series, at bat with the bases
loaded, thrashing the opposing team's catcher over the
head with his bat. Our collective shock would only be
exceeded by disappointment. No one, fan or foe, would
want to a see a great player end their career in an
act that speaks to the worst impulses of sports: when
hard competition spills over into violence.
Now imagine if Jordan and Jeter claimed they were
provoked with a racial slur. Does their violence
become understandable? Even excusable? Herein lies the
case of French National team captain, the great
Zinedine Zidane. Zidane, competing in his last
professional match, was kicked out of the World Cup
final in overtime for flattening Italian player Marco
Materazzi with the head-butt heard around the world.
Zidane, or Zissou as he is known, became the first
captain ever ejected from a World Cup championship
match. The announcers denounced Zissou for committing
a "classless act and the French team withered,
eventually losing to a demonstrably inferior Italian
squad in overtime. The following morning the
international tabloids with their typical grace, gave
Zissou a new nickname: "butt-head.” Less examined was
the fact that Zissou was literally carrying a lightly
regarded French team to the finals. Less examined was
the fact that Zissou had been grabbed, kicked, and
fouled all game by the vaunted Italian defense. Less
examined was the fact that Zissou had almost left
minutes earlier due to injury, his arm wilting off his
shoulder like a wet leaf of spinach. This unholy
amount of pressure is the primary reason the
34-year-old veteran snapped and planted Materazzi into
the pitch.
Now the great mystery is what set Zissou off. What
could Materazzi have possibly said to send him over
the edge? Answers are beginning to filter out.
According to a FIFA employee transcribing what was
said during the match, Materazzi’s called Zissou a
“big Algerian shit.” A Brazilian television program
that claims to have used a lip-reader said Materazzi
called Zissou’s sister “a whore.” The highly respected
French anti-racist coalition SOS Racisme issued a
press release stating, "According to several very well
informed sources from the world of football, it would
seem [Materazzi] called Zissou a 'dirty terrorist'."
Materazzi, in an answer that can only be called
Clintonian, said, "It is absolutely not true. I didn't
call him a terrorist.” Of course he didn’t comment on
what he did call him. Zissou himself has only said
cryptically that he would reveal what Materazzi said
"in the coming days."
Right now, we do not know beyond a shadow of a doubt
what was said but all the circumstantial evidence
points at least toward a variant of SOS Racisme's
claim. Zissou is the son of Algerian immigrants who
has sparred verbally with Europe's far-right political
machine for more than a decade. He is an outspoken
anti-racist on a team that has defined itself by its
multiculturalism and stubborn insistence to stand up
against bigotry both inside and outside the sport.
Materazzi on the other hand, will be playing this year
for the Italian team Lazio, where his father was the
former coach. Lazio's fan club, The Ultras, are
notorious for their Fascist-friendly politics. Lazio's
hardcore Ultras, known as the "Irriducibili," have
members in Italy's extra-parliamentary far right and
try to use the club to recruit. The group has
frequently uses racist and anti-Semitic banners, one
time hanging a 50-foot banner that said their
opponents were a "team of niggers."
It’s wrong to taint Materazzi for the actions of
Lazio’s fans, but there is more. Earlier this season
in a match that pitted Messina against Inter in
Sicily, Messina's star African player Marc Zoro
famously picked up the ball and walked off the pitch
in protest of the monkey chants rained upon him by
Inter supporters. In a stirring act of solidarity,
many of the Inter players immediately showed support
for Zoro's actions. But one opponent yelled, "Stop
that, Zoro, you're just trying to make a name for
yourself." That opponent's name was Marco Materazzi.
At the start of this tournament I wrote a soccer
column with my colleague John Cox, called Racism
Stalks the Cup. We expressed our concern that the
monkey chants, banana peels, and peanuts raining down
on African players this year would continue on the
sport's grandest stage. This largely did not occur.
But then in the final act, at the moment of most
exquisite tension, it seems racism may have actually
emerged from the shadows. I, for one, am damn glad
that when it did, it ran smack into Zissou's beautiful
head.
We don’t know with iron certainty what Materazzi said,
but if it turns out to be more of the anti-Black,
anti-Muslim, garbage that has infected soccer like a
virus, the Italian team should forfeit the cup. They
should voluntarily give the greatest trophy of them
all back to FIFA as a statement that some things in
this world are more important than sports. Racism will
be the death of soccer if things don’t change. Italy
can set the sport back on course, with one simple,
stunning gesture. Give the damn thing back.
Dave Zirin is the author of "What's My Name Fool?
Sports and Resistance in the United States" (Haymarket
Books.) You can receive his column Edge of Sports,
every week by e-mailing
edgeofsports-subscribe@zirin.com. Contact him at
whatsmynamefool2005@yahoo.com.
Be Zidane!