The year: 2006. The month: July. The day: 9. The country: Germany. The city: Berlin. The stadium: Olympic. The event: World Cup final. Rivals: Italy and France.
In the second World Cup decided on penalties (the first was in 1994, Brazil x Italy, in the USA), the Italians became five-time champions by beating the French by 5-3, after a 1-1 draw in normal time plus extra time.
The most outstanding characters in this decision were French star Zinédine Zidane, captain of the Bleus, and defender Marco Materazzi, from Squadra Azzurra.
Not just because they were responsible for the goals of their respective teams, both in the first half – Zidane, with a penalty with a cavadinha, and Materazzi, with a header after a corner.
But because they starred in the most remembered play of the match. The violent headbutt that shirt 10 delivered to shirt 23’s chest at the beginning of the second half of overtime.
The reason: a provocation from the Italian beck.
In Materazzi’s own account, after a disagreement in the Italian penalty area that left the Italian looking few friends, Zidane said that after the game he would give him his shirt, and he replied: “I prefer your sister”.
The reaction of the Frenchman, who has a sister named Lila, was immediate and untimely: the bald spot on the Italian’s chest, which collapsed.
Argentinian referee Horacio Elizondo, upon learning of the aggression by an assistant, showed Zidane the red card.
The move became so famous that the Algerian sculptor Adel Abdessemed immortalized it in a statue, whose destination turned out to be Doha, the capital of Qatar.
Placed on the edge of the city, she had a short stay there, just one month.
Constant protests from Muslims – who considered it a violation of religious dogmas, for inciting idolatry, as well as being a stimulus to violence – caused the authorities to withdraw and keep it.
Now, however, with this year’s World Cup approaching, which will take place in November and December, the 5-meter-tall bronze statue, called the Coup de Tête (Cabeçada), has been rescued and will be displayed to the local population and to the tourists.
Not near the sea, in the open air, like nine years ago, but in an enclosed space, a museum with a sports theme, to be visited only by those interested.
In the words of Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, sister of the emir of Qatar and responsible for managing the country’s museums, “societies evolve”, and today there will be greater acceptance of Abdessemed’s work among his compatriots.
“People can criticize something at first, but then they understand and get used to it,” she said in an interview with journalists. “Zidane is a great friend of Qatar and a role model for the Arab world.”
Al-Thani continued: “We are trying to teach and empower people through art, and it represents facts of life. With Zidane’s sculpture, we will talk about the stress of sportsmen in major competitions and the importance of dealing with mental health.” .
The 3-2-1 museum, where the Coup de Tête will be featured in an exhibition to be launched before the start of the Cup, is located in the Khalifa International Stadium, one of the stadiums that will host World Cup matches, including the dispute for third place.
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