World Cup Final, Zidane thinks its Over

[Ninjathunder]

He's Algerian really though.

With an French mother, French passport and raised in France?

[Eddie]

The French and North African divide is very strong. France are quite happy for what non-French would see as foreigners playing for them, they don't even see it that way. Really though the list of real Frenchman in the past few years is quite short, especially if you look for white Frenchman.

[Mr. E]

allez les bleus

Edited July 9, 2006 by Mr. E

[cn_barlow]

I will be very disappointed if Italy doesn't win this, they have been the best team throughout and deserves a win against an, for me, uninspiring French team.

The only reason I can see that could make me want French victory in this match is Zinedine Zidane, but he has won enough in his career anyway - it's a lot more important to me that Francesco Totti get a gold to wrap up his International career. As I have said earlier, I rate him above anyone else in the world in club football, but he has struggled more for Italy. He has been performing better and better throughout this tournament whilst regaining fitness, and even though I expect France to try and take him out of the game with some tough tackles early on, I believe he will stand out and help Italy win this.

Forza Italia!

Your reason for wanting Italy to win is my exact reason for wanting them to lose...i hate Totti!

[SouthAussieRover]

Forza Italy?

More like FO Italy.

Please do it France and silence the mama boys.

[Eddie]

Here come the car horns and the smell of hot dogs cooking in the street is no inescapable. Either way, win or lose, there will be trouble in Paris tonight.

[Eddie]

A great dive for the first penalty, good to learn from the game against Portugal.

[cn_barlow]

i hope crouch was watching that penalty.....

it would be rather fitting if a world cup frought with cheating should be decided by a dive!

[American]

So, you have Italy/France with an Argentinian ref.

What language do they speak on the field?

[bb3]

English I reckon.

[Flopsy]

Zidane sent off for headbutting Materazzi in the chest - dont know what the Italian said but he got a vicious reaction

[Eddie]

The right team won that. Moment of madness from Zidane, he didn't deserve to touch that trophy. Lesson on how to take penalties from the Italians. Diving and headbutting, the world cup trend continued.

[Philly Rover ®]

I'd love to know what Materazzi said. An utter shame that Zidane should let his career end on such a sour note like that.

[Ozz]

Materazzi said...

" ZZ, please make the only part of your head with no hair on connect with with my shirt"

Alledgedly.

[Rovermatt]

FFS! What on earth was Zidane up to? A terrible way to end his career.

Anyway, fair play to the Italians.

[philipl]

The French blew that big time. Quite apart from ZZ Head Butt, Barthez was a fully at fault for Matterazzi's equaliser and never looked likely to get anywhere near the Italian penalties. The French substitutions were a bit odd.

Anyway it is a night of car horns and air horns here.

[adopted scouser]

Forza Italy?

More like FO Italy.

Please do it France and silence the mama boys.

Eh ? Don ?

The thought of hundreds of thousands of whingeing frenchmen

Eat my Gaul !

[Eddie]

Eh ? Don ?

The thought of hundreds of thousands of whingeing frenchmen

Eat my Gaul !

Certainly not leaving my building tonight.

[Mr. E]

Zidane's action was beyond idiotic, I don't know what the hell he was thinking there.

And the Italians are world cup champions....what a nightmare.

[Shevchenko]

That Zidane moment of madness left me lost for words. He's had a great world cup and it was looking like he would have a wonderful end to a great career....and he does something like that. You have to wonder what Materazzi said to him, but that was increadibly stupid...shocking. It'll taint his world cup.

I enjoyed the game, one of the better games of the tournament for me. Italy were slightly better in the first half and France were far better after the break. They would have deserved a victory in normal time really but it wasn't to be.

[Oklahoma]

A great dive for the first penalty, good to learn from the game against Portugal.

I was under the impression that the only ones that dived were portuguese players and they were cheating @#/?s because of this.

[Eddie]

I have never said anything of the sort, France certainly deserve no praise for the way that they have carried themselves during this tournament.

[colin]

I think we all owe ZZ a big round of applause for making that final something to talk about. What a wonderful and glorious moment of lunacy, which lightened an otherwise dull match.

A Keith Moon "telly out of the hotel window" moment. A Rooney stomp; Ronaldo dives; Sven taking Theo; Graham Poll & his three yellow cards; that Russian ref with his 16 yellow and 4 red cards.

Brilliant, without all that lot it would have been a bore.

[Oklahoma]

For those who haven't seen it yet:

Zidane loses his head

[SouthAussieRover]

Eh ? Don ?

The thought of hundreds of thousands of whingeing frenchmen

Eat my Gaul !

We have large Italian community here and they'll be carrying on for weeks now.