Lord Ellpus wrote:A lip reader, working on behalf of the Sun newspaper in the UK, has apparently determined that Matterazi called Zidane "The son of a terrorist whore".
This coincided with Zidane's mother having fallen ill earlier that day, and going into hospital. Apparently the Italian team were aware of this fact.
Zidane is of Algerian descent, and many Algerians are extremely sensitive about being portrayed as terrorists.
It's a wonder Zidane didn't stretch out a leg to the prone Materazzi (if this lip reading is accurate) and gently place a football boot right up the Italian's left nostril.
From ESPN SoccerNet:
Materazzi, 32, told Gazetta dello Sport: 'I held his shirt for a few seconds only, then he turned to me and talked to me, jeering.
'He looked at me with a huge arrogance and said, 'If you really want my shirt I'll give it to you afterwards'. I replied with an insult, that's true.'
Materazzi has not elaborated on what he did say, but one report suggested he responded with: 'I'd rather take the shirt off your wife'.
He has denied, however, some of the more vile insults referring to his wife or sister or calling him a terrorist.
'It was one of those insults you're told dozens of times and that you often let fall on a pitch,' Materazzi said.
'I did not call him a terrorist. I am not a cultured person and I don't even know what an Islamist terrorist is.'
He added: 'For me the mother is sacred, you know that.'
I wondered about that, too!
