July 13, 2006

SIMPLE PROVOCATION MADE ZIDANE LOOK LIKE A FOOL

      Ignore the dissenters—words can hurt only if you let them.  For Zinedine Zidane, arguably the world’s best soccer player--at least through the World Cup—simple words made him look like a fool.  All the follow-up stories concerning what his tormentor said, and how seriously provocative the comments were, are meaningless—a decidedly inferior opponent manipulated Zidane into a red card.

       In the end his expulsion may not have cost his country, some experts say.  There are reports that he had injured himself earlier in the match.  With both sides content to play out the final ten minutes of overtime and look to the shoot-out for a result, and with an injury possibly limiting his skill on penalty kicks there are those that believe his expulsion meant absolutely nothing.  That is asinine.  When a club’s best player is kicked out of the game before it is decided there is a sense of dread that engulfs his teammates.  How could France possibly win a World Cup Final shoot-out without it’s best shooter?  Even if Zidane missed his opportunity on the penalty kicks the letdown would have been brief, and his teammates would not have had ten minutes to prepare themselves for an inevitable loss.   

      What could have provoked Zidane?  What words could have been so harmful for the best player in the tournament to suddenly lose his head?  It is likely that the manipulation by the Italian side had been utilized since the opening seconds of the match, and after 110 minutes of verbal abuse Zidane decided that he had had enough.  It may not have even been Marco Materazzi, the Italian who went down like he had been shot (an action soccer players have perfected) who had uttered most of the contemptuous statements. He may have just been the last one. 

       Whatever was said it is unlikely that Zidane, his team’s best player for as long as he has been on a professional pitch no matter what team he played for, had not heard them before.  He has likely been a target for his entire career.  For Zidane to lose his cool in the final minutes of a deciding match is foolhardy.   

       There are some critics who believe he has forever tarnished a wonderful career.  This is also asinine.  One mistake, even if it occurred on the world’s largest stage, will not denigrate a distinguished career.  It is unfortunate though that a head butt will be the final, and lasting image, soccer fans will have of this world-class athlete.  I doubt whether that is the way he would have liked to end his career, and though he stops short of admitting his error Zidane knows in his heart that if he could he would certainly take it back. 

       Words cannot hurt you.  It’s your choice how you react.