Zizou will be visiting Bangladesh next month at the invitation of the recent winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, Muhammad Yunus:
French football star Zinedine Zidane is set to visit Bangladesh next month at the invitation of Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus to open a new food manufacturing project.
The World Cup Golden Boot winner will be in the country from November 7-8 to unveil the Grameen Danone Food Factory, a joint venture between Grameen Bank and French food giant Danone, the bank’s general manager Nurjahan Begum said.
Read the full story here.
Well, despite ending his career with that infamous head-butt, Zinedine Zidane continues to be in the headlines and is nominated for this year’s FIFA World Player of the Year award:
ZURICH, Switzerland (AP) — Despite ending his career with an infamous head-butt, Zinedine Zidane was nominated for this year’s FIFA World Player of the Year award.
Soccer’s world governing body Thursday released its shortlists of 20 women and 30 men in contention for the two annual awards honoring its best players.
Coaches and captains of men’s and women’s national teams around the world will be eligible to vote, and FIFA will announce the three male and three female players with the most votes in early December.
The winners will be chosen from those finalists and presented with the awards at Zurich, Switzerland, on Dec. 18.
Zidane, the former captain of France, was ejected during the World Cup final against Italy for butting Marco Materazzi in the chest. Zidane was red-carded and Italy won the title on penalty kicks.
Congratulations for making the list, Zizou!
Great, now he’s writing a book on the incident. Making more money to sell, eh? Italians are shrewd.
MILAN, Oct 10 (Reuters) - Italy defender Marco Materazzi’s World Cup final confrontation with France’s Zinedine Zidane prompted a series of songs, games and jokes on the internet and has now resulted in the Inter Milan centre-half writing a book of jokes about the incident.
“What I really told Zidane” is published this month by Italian publishing house Mondadori with all profits going to the United Nations Children’s Fund.
Materazzi’s words to the French midfielder in extra-time of July’s final in Berlin led to Zidane head-butting him in the chest and being sent off in his last game.
Down to 10 men, France lost the game on penalties.
After weeks of speculation Materazzi said in September that it was a reference to Zidane’s sister that prompted the violent reaction from the former European Player of the Year.
The red card issue is still not over yet. It will be contested in court now. From Radio NZ:
A French lawyer is to contest Zinedine Zidane’s World Cup final red card in the French civil courts.
Mehana Mouhou wants the red card overturned on a technicality because he claims the fourth official watched video evidence of the French captain’s infamous head-butt on Italy defender Marco Materazzi, before bringing it to the referee’s attention.
France went on to lose the World Cup final on July 9 after a penalty shoot-out.
The full story can be seen here.
It seems that foul-mouth talker is tired of trying to make peace with Zidane, who gave him a harsh lesson by head-butting him in the chest. From DNA Sport:
ROME: Italy defender Materazzi says he is getting tired of trying to make up with Zinedine Zidane following their clash at the World Cup final in July.
Zidane was sent off in the second period of extra time for head-butting Materazzi, who had insulted the French midfield maestro.
Italy went on to defeat France 5-3 on penalties after the match had finished tied at 1-1. Zidane put France ahead with a penalty-kick before Materazzi headed the equaliser.
“I’ve always said that I am ready to make up and I’ve even told (world football’s governing body) FIFA, verbally and in writing,” Materazzi said ahead of Italy’s 2008 European championship qualifying match at home to Ukraine on Saturday.
From U.TV:
“Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait”, a film based on the French players role in a single league match, opens today in the Irish Film Institute (IFI) in Dublin.
According to Trevor Johnston, writing on the IFI’s web site, the film is not a conventional documentary but a “conceptually daring study that concentrates exclusively on the football during a single league match.”
“The turbulent events on the evening of the World Cup Final can’t help but raise the profile of this hypnotically enveloping filmed portrait of the French midfield maestro - though it’ll even be appreciated by those who know little or care even less about football.
“That’s because artists Douglas Gordon and Philippe Parreno have chosen as their subject an individual whose charismatic spell transcends issues of sporting prowess: Zinédine Zidane is simply someone you can’t take your eyes off.
The story of the legendary Zidane has not ended yet, folks 