Thursday Jul 13 2006 07:30
Italy defender Marco Materazzi has again denied making any racist comment or aiming abuse at Zinedine Zidane's mother before being headbutted by the Frenchman in the World Cup final.
Zidane has broken his silence to level allegations of serious abuse against Materazzi, but the Azzurri stopper says his conscience is clear.
He said: "I didn't mention anything about religion, politics or racism.
"I didn't insult his mother. I lost my mother when I was 15 years old and still get emotional when I talk about it.
"Naturally, I didn't know that his mother was in hospital but I wish her all the best. Zidane is my hero and I have always admired him a lot."
Materazzi had earlier 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.
"It was one of those insults you're told dozens of times and that you often let fall on a pitch.
"I did not call him a terrorist. I did not bring up Zidane's mother, for me a mother is sacred."
Meanwhile, FIFA president Sepp Blatter has warned that Zidane could be stripped of the Golden Ball award as the World Cup's best player, saying: "The FIFA executive committee has the responsibility of intervening when it is a matter of conduct which goes against the ethics of the sport.
"That is why I gave the orders to our disciplinary commission to investigate what happened.
"To see him, Zidane, acting like that leaves me vexed, both for himself and for all sense of fair play."
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