France coach Zinedine Zidane has expressed no regrets about his infamous headbutt on Marco Materazzi in the 2006 World Cup final, as he prepares to face Italy again in the UEFA Nations League. Zidane was speaking at a press conference at the Stade de France, where Les Bleus host the Italians on Friday. The incident, which led to Zidane being sent off in extra time, has been a subject of discussion for many years.
Zidane, 54, was appointed France coach in late July, succeeding Didier Deschamps, who stepped down after 14 years in charge. Zidane's first two matches in charge have come away from home, with Les Bleus winning 1-0 in Turkey and by the same scoreline in Belgium in the Nations League. He is now set to return to the Stade de France, where his last appearance as a player was in a friendly against Mexico in 2006.
The Stade de France will be sold out, with close to 80,000 fans expected to attend the match. Zidane said it would be an emotional experience for him, but he is focused on the game. "The images will always be there to remind me of what happened in 2006, because they are always being shown," Zidane said. "Fortunately that is not the only thing I did and there were other nicer things, so I try to think more about the positives."
Zidane has not spoken to Materazzi since the incident in Berlin, which Italy won on penalties. He said he had no regrets about the headbutt, adding that it was part of his career. "In 2006 I didn't know I was going to become a coach. I thought that was the end so it was really difficult for me," Zidane said. "I am not proud of what happened. I have said it over and over again, but it is part of my career -- you can't only do wonderful things."
France are without captain Kylian Mbappe, who returned to his club Real Madrid after suffering a knee injury while scoring the winning goal in Turkey last week. Mbappe's absence will be felt, but Zidane has expressed confidence in his team. Earlier, France forward Ousmane Dembele insisted there was no tension between him and Mbappe after comments made by both players in the media about the Ballon d'Or.
Dembele, of Paris Saint-Germain, won last year's Ballon d'Or and is nominated again this year, while Mbappe is one of the leading contenders to succeed his compatriot. Dembele dismissed the matter as a "social media squabble", saying he and Mbappe had talked about it and there was no issue between them. "There is no issue. We have talked about it. We sit next to each other at the dinner table," Dembele told reporters.
Zidane's France team will look to build on their two consecutive wins in the Nations League when they face Italy on Friday. The match will be a test for Zidane, who is still settling into his new role as France coach. Key players will need to step up in Mbappe's absence, and Zidane will be hoping for a strong performance from his team.
Key points
- Zidane has no regrets about his headbutt on Materazzi in 2006.
- France are without captain Kylian Mbappe due to a knee injury.
- Dembele dismisses tension with Mbappe as a "social media squabble".
