Recalling Social Tragedy: Staging Zinédine Zidane’s Transgression on France’s Postcolonial Arena

Abstract

On the evening of july 9, 2006, the world watched as france and Italy competed for football’s most prestigious prize—the World Cup. In what was established to be his final match before retirement, Zinédine Zidane captained the French national team in an attempt to repeat the country’s 1998 World Cup victory, but it was not to be. At the 110th minute, France and Italy stood at one all with goals from Italy’s, Marco Materazzi, and France’s, Zinédine Zidane. In an ironic “twist of fate,” an altercation between these two players resulted in Zidane head-butting Materazzi in response to constant physical provocation—Materazzi repeatedly tugging Zidane’s jersey—and an alleged racial slur. The French captain was consequently penalized with a red card and dismissed during the decisive final minutes of the game in extra time. The game ended with no additional scoring and moved to a penalty “shoot-out” as Italy won 5–3, depriving France of their captain and arguably most valuable player and goal scorer. Despite scoring France’s only goal, and being awarded the Golden Ball for the most outstanding player of the tournament by half time, Zidane’s climactic reversal of fortune was encapsulated by the final minutes of the game: the French captain watching from the sidelines in disgrace as Italy secured its victory and, in so doing, sealed the “tragic fate” of France’s iconic hero.