You may have heard something about a bizarre incident near the end of the game, when transcendant star Zinedine Zidane leveled an Italian player with a wicked head butt. Many theories abound as to why Zidane, closing in on the final minutes of his stellar career, would lose his temper so completely, soil his reputation and ruin his team's chances of winning the game. The most common belief is that the Italian player either insulted Zidane's mother or sister, or called him a terrorist. This is notable because Zidane is of Algerian decent, which for the French people is an extremely complicated issue.
As a former French colony that only gained its independence through bloodshed in 1962, Algeria's relationship with France is fraught with ill-will. Algerians who relocated to France are still considered by some in France to be second class citizens. Algerians, like Zidane's immigrant father, tend to live in the hardscrabble, racially homogenous neighborhoods that typify immigrant populations the world over. It is that racial and national identity that leads to further pain. Being of Algerian descent, Zidane and others like him is a man without a country, because it is presumed that his people either collaborated with the colonial government in its bloody war against Algeria, or is a traitor to true Algeria. Thus, Zidane is alternately dismissed by country of his birth or reviled by the country of his heritage. Moreover, Algerians like Zidane have been lumped together in the public mind with the Arab population of France as it becomes more stridently anti-government. Unfortunately, Zidane and his family are not Arabs, but rather Berbers. Tragically, Berbers of the region of Algeria from which Zidane's family came have been embroiled in a horrible civil war for the last decade.
The result of this stew is a supremely talented and accomplished international sporting star for whom questions of racial and national identity are themselves an integral part of his identity. Zidane is also reportedly a very private, shy individual. Everyone knows that it's those quiet ones you have to watch out for; when they let go, it can be volcanic. And so it was, when Marco Materazzi (who has a well-documented history of unscrupulous behavior) grabbed, tugged, pushed and insulted Zidane for 110 minutes of the highest-pressure event in the world, Zidane cracked, and sullied his reputation forever.
The most ridiculous part of this saga is that Materazzi now admits that he insulted Zidane, although he will not repeat what he said, and claims that he did not call Zidane a terrorist. Here is his alibi:
"I did insult him, it's true," Materazzi said in Tuesday's Gazzetta dello Sport. "But I categorically did not call him a terrorist. I'm not cultured and I don't even know what an Islamic terrorist is."
So, Segnor Materazzi, are you that much of a moron, or do you think the rest of us are?
I cannot condone Zidane's behavior; it made me sad, as a brand-new fan, to see him go out that way. But the actions and statements of Materazzi encapsulate for me the worst aspects of World Cup soccer. The non-stop tweaking, trying to get away with something, passing off blame, proclaiming innocence ... the World Cup is notorious for its players diving all over the pitch as a result of the slightest contact in an effort to draw a foul, but that tendency seems to stem from an entire attitude that is based upon feint and deception. There is something about it that rubs the American in me wrong, the part of me that says that you always pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and soldier on regardless of the circumstances.
I spent too much time over the last three weeks watching talented, well-trained athletes hurl themselves to the ground, hands flying to their faces when another player has the misfortune to swing a foot within the general vicinity of the wounded man's shin. Out comes the stretcher, the ice bag, the magic freezing spray, and, in extreme cases, the water bottle that is upended over the area of the injury. Moments later, the aggrieved player is sprinting around again. It is truly a sickening display. Interestingly, I've been informed that the English Premier League, where many of the world's best players ply their trade professionally, does not exhibit the same operatic tendencies. After watching a portion of couple of matches last night, I would have to agree. The players play just as hard, but without the drama.
Setting aside all of the difficult and complicated issues that flow from Zidane's actions, you have to admit that it was an epic takedown. That part of the American in me, the part that loves a bonecrushing blow struck in vengeance, loved it. And he didn't use his hands!
No comments:
Post a Comment