Soccer: World Cup

01:59 PM CDT on Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Associated Press

PARIS — French soccer star Zinedine Zidane apologized for head-butting an Italian opponent during the World Cup final, saying Wednesday that he was provoked by insults about his mother and sister.

“I apologize, to all the children” who watched the match Sunday, Zidane said in his first, highly awaited comments about the act of violence that marked the end of his career.

Zidane did not specify exactly what Italian defender Marco Materazzi said that enraged him, but that it was insulting to his sister and mother.

“I would rather have taken a punch in the jaw than have heard that,” Zidane said, stressing that Materazzi’s language was “very harsh.”

Zidane and Materazzi exchanged words after Italy broke up a French attack in extra-time. Seconds later, Zidane lowered his head and rammed Materazzi in the chest, knocking him to the ground.

Zidane was sent off, reducing France to 10 men. Italy went on to win in a penalty shootout.

The France captain said he felt no regret for his act, “because that would mean [Materazzi] was right to say all that.”

At nearly the same moment Zidane was appearing on French TV, excerpts from an interview that Materazzi gave to Italian sports daily Gazzetta dello Sport were posted on the newspaper’s Web site.

“I didn’t say anything to him about racism, religion or politics,” Materazzi told the Gazzetta. “I didn’t talk about his mother either. I lost my mother when I was 15, and even now I still get emotional talking about her. Naturally, I didn’t know his [mother] was in the hospital, I give her my best wishes.”

“He’s always been my hero, I admire him a lot.”

For days, sports fans around the world have been riveted by the question: What could Materazzi have said to set Zidane off? Media from Brazil to Britain hired lip readers to try to figure it out, then came up with different answers.

Materazzi has acknowledged he insulted Zidane, without giving specifics.

Materazzi spoke to Zidane in Italian. Zidane, who played several years for Juventus in Turin, speaks Italian.

Despite the head butt, Zidane was awarded the Golden Ball award for best player at the World Cup — though FIFA president Sepp Blatter has suggested Zidane could be stripped of the honor.