"i want his balls on a platter!" wow...

the world cup 2006 now become such like telenovela story, hummmh?
i want his balls! [what kind of ball? the golden ball?]
momma, pliz... don't take his balls away.

Zidane's Mom: 'I Want Materazzi's Balls on a Platter'

French soccer star Zinedine Zidane has spoken out about the red card incident in the World Cup final saying he head-butted Marco Materazzi after the Italian defender repeatedly insulted his mother and sister. Now Zidane's mother has joined the argument: she wants revenge.

It was perhaps the most shocking moment of this summer's World Cup in Germany: French midfielder Zinedine Zidane turned suddenly to head-butt Italian player Marco Materazzi in the chest, knocking him to the ground. France's captain subsequently was sent off for the seemingly inexplicable action only 10 minutes before the 34-year-old star planned to retire.

After Italy went on to win the final in a penalty shootout, the whole world wondered what could have put Zidane into such a rage that he would end his career on such a truly ignominious note. Materazzi had admitted he insulted the Frenchman, but denied calling him a "terrorist" or attacking his mother.

Asked during an interview with the French broadcaster Canal Plus on Wednesday night what exactly Materazzi said, Zidane only replied: "It was very personal things about my mama, my sister. I tried not to listen but he kept repeating the words."

An idol to millions around the world, Zidane apologized for his behavior on the pitch last Sunday. "I ask for forgiveness from the kids that saw that. There's no excuse for it," said Zidane. "I have to say that loudly and clearly since it was seen by a television audience of two to three billion and some millions of children."

However, he added he could not regret what he did, since it would justify what Materazzi had said to him. "I can't regret my actions because that would mean he had the right to say what he did. I can't, I can't say that. No, he didn't have the right to say what he did."

It seems one person at least agrees with Zidane's refusal to apologize to Materazzi: Zidane's own mother, Malika. English tabloid The Mirror quotes Malika -- who is recovering from illness -- as telling friends: "I am utterly disgusted by what I have heard. I praise my son for defending his family's honour."

"No one should be subjected to such foul insults on or off the football pitch and I don't care if it was a World Cup Final. I have nothing but contempt for Materazzi and, if what he said is true, then I want his balls on a platter."

Materazzi on Tuesday admitted that he had provoked the retiring French midfielder before the attack that led to a red card for Zidane in the World Cup final in Berlin. But the Italian defender claimed the Frenchman had been "super arrogant" just prior to the ugly incident, according to a report in the Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport.

"It was the kind of insult you hear dozens of times that just slip out while on the pitch," the paper quotes Materazzi as saying. He denied recent reports in the French paper L'Equipe and Britain's The Guardian that he called Zidane -- whose family are Muslims from Algeria -- a "terrorist" and insulted his mother.

"I'm not educated, I don't even know what a terrorist is," the 32-year-old said. "I certainly didn't attack Zidane's mama -- for me mama is holy."

Materazzi said the trouble started after he had briefly held onto Zidane's jersey, which caused the French captain to say to him condescendingly that he could have it after match. "I responded to him with an insult, that's true," said the Inter Milan defender, who lost his own mother at the age of 15.

The British daily The Times, however, reported that an assessment by an expert lip reader concluded Materazzi had called Zidane "the son of a terrorist whore" before adding "so just f**k off." Brazil broadcaster O Globo reported another lip reader thought he called Zidane's sister a prostitute -- twice.

After Zindane's TV appearance, Materazzi reiterated on Thursday that he did not insult the French star's family. Despite that, soccer's governing body FIFA chose to open disciplinary proceedings against him. After both players give their official statements to a special commission, a decision on any possible sanctions is expected to be taken on July 20.

mry/afp/sid/times/dpa