Consolation for Zidane
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There was some consolation for Zidane as Materrazi was handed down a 2 match ban and fine by FIFA with Zidane himself being punished too. Zidane does get to keep the Golden Ball he was awarded.
Zidane, Materazzi punished by FIFA
Zurich, Switzerland (Sports Network) - The FIFA Disciplinary Committee fined and suspended France captain Zinedine Zidane and Italy defender Marco Materazzi Thursday for the incident that took place during the 2006 FIFA World Cup final on July 9 in Berlin.
The Committee issued a three-match ban and a $6,000 fine on Zidane for head- butting Materazzi in the 110th minute . Since Zidane has retired from international soccer, the 34-year-old has pledged to do three days of community service work.
FIFA also suspended Materazzi for two matches and fined him $4,000 for "repeatedly provoking Zidane." With the two-match ban, Materazzi will be sidelined during Italy's opening two Euro 2008 qualifiers.
FIFA said both players apologized for their behavior and expressed regret for the incident.
07/20 12:21:22 ET
URL: http://www.sportsnetwork.com/default.asp?c=sportsnetwork&page=soc-wc/news/CWN4031390.htm
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..... on a related but positive note, i read this article before the whole incident and is worth reading by sportsmen among us who have entered their thirties.
Life begins at 30
5 July 2006
by FIFAworldcup.com
Only one team – Brazil in 1962 – has ever won the FIFA World Cup™ with an average age of over 28. Yet trends are made to be broken and, as Germany 2006 has shown, there is absolutely no reason why the game's thirtysomethings should not retain their places in the global footballing elite.
Raymond Domenech’s evergreen France squad are a case in point. Despite an average age of nearly 30, Les Bleus have defied creaking joints and ageing limbs to recover from a shaky start and march onwards to a place in the semi-finals.
The leader of the French pack is the irrepressible Zinedine Zidane. Fresh from blowing out the candles on his 34th birthday cake, Zizou has arguably saved the best for last, producing some of the finest football of his career as he prepares to hang up his boots for good.
Two other stalwarts of that vintage France 98 side, Lilian Thuram and Fabien Barthez, are also enjoying Indian summers. The 34-year-old Thuram has produced some typically reliable, skilful performances without relinquishing his trademark speed, while Barthez has yet again underlined why he is France’s number one keeper.
The high-flying French are not the only ones in town with some illustrious veterans in their ranks. The other three semi-finalists also boast some seasoned campaigners still capable of cutting it at the highest level. Lining up against Domenech’s side on Wednesday will be none other than Portugal’s Luis Figo. Now 33, the Inter Milan midfielder has helped take his country to their best showing since 1966.
Perhaps the most inspiring example is the case of Germany's Jens Lehmann. Something of a late developer, the 36-year-old keeper had never appeared in a FIFA World Cup match before Germany 2006. In spite of that, coach Jurgen Klinsmann named Lehmann as his first choice between the sticks, and the Arsenal man repaid his faith by stringing together some excellent performances, putting him in with a fighting chance of succeeding team-mate and erstwhile German number Oliver Kahn as adidas Golden Ball winner.
As for the hosts’ conquerors, Italy, their brigade of veteran warriors could hardly have a higher pedigree. Leading the way is skipper Fabio Cannavaro, who at the ripe old age of 32 is following the proud tradition of Franco Baresi and Paolo Maldini, two of the finest exponents of the defensive arts in the history of the game. Among the other Italian warhorses still going strong is last night's goal hero, 31-year-old Alessandro Del Piero, who proved that, as well as passing on valuable experience to the Azzurri's younger players, he still has the talent and composure to make a match-winning difference.
And they are not the only ones. David Beckham, Roberto Carlos, Phillip Cocu, Pavel Nedved, Roberto Ayala and Henrik Larsson have featured among a strong supporting cast of old boys who have shown at Germany 2006 that, in football at least, life really can begin at 30.
URL: http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/060704/1/8jhr.html
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