Zinedine Zidane says he has no regrets over Marco Materazzi headbutt

Zinedine Zidane says he does not regret headbutting Marco Materazzi in the 2006 World Cup final, although he insists he is not proud of the incident.

The France manager was sent off during extra time of what became his final appearance as a player, as Italy went on to win the final on penalties in Berlin.

France will face Italy on Friday in their third Nations League match, with the fixture taking place at the Stade de France. Zidane’s comments were reported by France 24 after he was asked about the incident, images of which are still regularly shown.

“Those images will always be there to remind me of what happened in 2006, because they are constantly being shown,” Zidane said.

“Fortunately, that was not the only thing I did. There were other, more beautiful things, so I try to think more about the positive aspects.”

Zidane, speaking at a news conference at the stadium before the match, said he had not spoken to Materazzi since that night in Berlin.

“I do not regret it, because it was part of my career,” he said. “In 2006, I did not know I would become a manager. I thought it was the end of everything, which made it very difficult for me.”

He added: “I am not proud of what happened. I have said that again and again, but it is part of my career. You cannot only do great things.”

The 54-year-old took charge of France in late July, replacing his former international team-mate Didier Deschamps, who left the role after 14 years in charge.

Zidane’s first two matches as France manager were both away from home. France won 1-0 in Turkey before recording the same scoreline against Belgium in the Nations League.

Friday’s meeting with Italy will be played in front of a full crowd of about 80,000 at the national stadium north of Paris. It will mark Zidane’s return to a venue where he remains a highly symbolic figure for France supporters.

“It will be a very emotional moment,” Zidane said.

His last appearance as a player at the Stade de France came in a friendly against Mexico in 2006.