Zidane Looks Back At Materazzi Incident, And Forward To A Return

[M|ch]

Speaking to L'Equipe Magazine, Zinedine Zidane put 2006's World Cup red card behind him once and for all, and also looked forward to a return to football...


Zinedine Zidane granted an interview with L'Equipe magazine, and while the article is not to be published until tomorrow, details have already begun to emerge of some of the key points.

Chief among them are Zizou's controversial depature from football at the 2006 World Cup final, and his plans for the future.

Looking back on his headbutt towards Marco Materazzi that saw him sent off against Italy in Berlin, he said, "I wanted to leave football in an other way.

"But it's over now. It's good to talk about it, to close the debate once and for all. But I'll carry it with me for the rest of my life."

Still, rather than look back, Zidane admitted that he was eager to look forward to a possible return to football.

"Quitting football for a break is very pleasing at first," he said.

"But eventually it begins to feel like something is missing.

"As such, I'm attracted to a return to football. But I can't tell you right now in what way."

At the moment, Zidane's involvement is mostly at the community level.

With his brothers and friends, he's about to invest in football in his home city of Marseille.

"The project would be to create a true sports complex for urban football," he enthused.

"We'd put down surfaces where one can play five-a-side football with real goals, with the ability to review video images and a clubhouse from where to watch matches. The council should join up with us."