Upamecano red card revives Zidane’s infamous Italy World Cup memory

Dayot Upamecano was sent off as France drew 1-1 with Italy in the third round of the UEFA Nations League on Friday evening, reviving one of the most controversial moments of Zinedine Zidane’s career against the same opponents.

The France defender received a straight red card in the 85th minute after assaulting an Italian player, leaving his side with 10 men for the closing stages of the match.

Zidane watched the incident from the substitutes’ bench, and Upamecano’s dismissal immediately brought back memories of the France great’s own sending-off against Italy in the 2006 World Cup final.

Zidane was shown a red card during extra time in Berlin after striking Italy defender Marco Materazzi. The final finished 1-1 before Italy won the tournament on penalties.

Almost 20 years later, Zidane witnessed a similar scene from outside the pitch. This time, one of his players was dismissed against Italy during a crucial period of the match, with France searching for a winning goal after the Azzurri had levelled the score.

The circumstances were different, but Upamecano’s red card added another striking connection between France’s latest meeting with Italy and the darkest night of Zidane’s international career.

Italy therefore featured once again in a moment closely associated with Zidane and France, bringing the memory of the 2006 World Cup final back into focus.