Former French defender Willy Sagnol talked to FIFA’s official website about an incident from the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
The Georgian national team head coach commented on Zinedine Zidane’s dismissal for hitting Italian footballer Marco Materazzi with his head to his chest in the 2006 FIFA World Cup final.
– Do you blame Zidane for that suspension in the final?
– 15 years ago I played next to one of the best players in the world, who was not only a great footballer but also a great man. Maybe it was the blood that hit him in the head and made him human for a few moments, and it’s human nature to make mistakes.
Unfortunately, it didn’t happen at the best of times.
Although there was a lot of anger after the match, we cannot say for sure we would have won if the sending off had not happened. Football is a team sport and this is the message that must be passed on to the youngsters: we are responsible not only for our own game but also for the performance of the whole team.
When you get blood in your head on the pitch, it becomes a punishment for your team in the first place.
