Materazzi revisits 2006 World Cup headbutt after player’s death

Marco Materazzi has said the death of Spanish striker Jesus de Miguel made him “thank God” that Zinedine Zidane’s infamous headbutt in the 2006 World Cup final did not cause fatal injuries.

De Miguel, a forward for Tenerife, died after colliding with Andorra goalkeeper Jesus Aono during a Spanish second-division match earlier this month. The incident initially appeared routine, but the player died the following day.

Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport in an interview published on Thursday, Materazzi said: “The death of Jesus de Miguel made me thank God that I was not hurt.”

The former Italy defender said the tragedy had changed the way he viewed one of the most memorable incidents in World Cup history. Twenty years after the final in Berlin, he now sees the headbutt not simply as a moment of anger involving two elite players, but as a reminder of how quickly an incident on the pitch can have devastating consequences.

Zidane, then France captain, was sent off after striking Materazzi in the chest with his head. Italy went on to win the final on penalties and claim the World Cup, but the confrontation has remained one of the defining images of the tournament.

Materazzi said De Miguel’s death had made him consider how differently the 2006 incident might have ended. A blow delivered in another place, or with greater force, could have turned what was seen across the world as a burst of anger into a human tragedy.

Contact between former rivals

Zidane, now France manager, said last month that he was not proud of the headbutt but did not regret it. His comments prompted renewed debate and reopened an old dispute between the two former rivals.

Materazzi also described a meeting with Zidane before a match in 2010. He said the Frenchman hesitated when he saw him and even turned away before Materazzi approached and offered his hand.

“When he saw me, he hesitated a little and even turned around to go back,” Materazzi said. “But I approached him and shook his hand, saying: ‘I’m happy to meet you here, where nobody can see us.’ He replied: ‘Don’t worry, these things happen. It is all in the past.’”

Materazzi added that he was disappointed when Zidane later denied the meeting had happened in the way he described, saying the former France captain had believed he was speaking to a fan.

“It is unfortunate that he later denied everything,” Materazzi said.

The comments come as France, managed by Zidane, are due to play Italy in the Nations League later on Thursday. The fixture is expected to recall the 2006 final, while Materazzi’s reflections underline the lasting human consequences of moments that can otherwise become reduced to football history.