Zidane: no regrets about the headbutt to Materazzi in 2006, but I'm not proud of it

On the eve of the Nations League match against Mancini's Italy, the France coach returns to the episode that cost him his expulsion in the final of the 2006 World Cup in Germany

He's not proud but he doesn't deny what he's done either. Zinedine Zidane said he has no regrets about the headbutt to Marco Materazzi in the 2006 World Cup final, while reiterating that he is not proud of that gesture which left France with 10 men in the heat of the match and which prevented him from taking the penalty in the sequence of spot kicks with which Italy then won the title.

The first at home as coach against the Azzurri

Zidane is preparing for his home debut as France coach against Italy, the same national team with which his career as a footballer in the blue shirt sadly ended. On the eve of the Nations League match against Roberto Mancini's national team, the coach returned to the episode that cost him the expulsion in the final in Berlin: "I have no regrets, because it was part of my career", he declared in a press conference at the Stade de France. "I'm not proud of what happened. I've said it over and over again, but it's part of my career: you can't just do wonderful things."

"Luckily I've done nicer things"

"The images will always be there to remind me of what happened in 2006, because they are shown all the time," he added, smiling. "Fortunately I didn't just do that, there were other nicer things, so I try to think above all about the positive aspects." With Materazzi, he explained, there were no more relationships after that evening: "In 2006 I didn't know that I would become a coach. I thought it was the end, so it was really difficult for me", he added.

Coach since July

The 54-year-old coach was appointed coach at the end of July to replace Didier Deschamps, who left after 14 years in charge of Les Bleus and the World Cup in North America. In the first two matches of his management, both away, France beat Türkiye and Belgium 1-0. Tomorrow, in front of almost 80 thousand spectators, he will return to the Stade de France, where his last appearance as a player dates back to a friendly against Mexico in 2006. "It will be really exciting," he said.