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i'm going to have a bash at translating, on direct, the interview with 'Zizou' .... he's on t.v now giving his version of the facts

(Updated on 14/07 - i've found the original interview, in french, here )





Intro ... blah blah blah

Zinedine is being asked about the start of the campaign ...

"No-one held any hope for us, everyone thought we were going out after the first round ... but we wanted to go all the way .. contrary to the press, the team felt very good together ... very solid and tight-knit"

His relationship with the trainer .. when he was taken off early against Switzerland he didn't look at the trainer why ?

"I was disappointed and feeling bad at having a very bad match ... both for the team and my own contribution ... i didn't score .. i didn't play particularly well ... we should have won that one and been through to the next round "

And the Togo match, where did you watch it?

"I was in the changing room watching it on T.V ... i didn't want to be on the bench and not playing"

Tell us about the 1/8, is it true that you were ready, with bags packed ready to go home ...

"We knew we couldn't let in even one goal, we just had to go for it ... we gave everything. We knew from that point onwards that if we lost, we're out... back home ... we all had our change of clothes in our kit bags, ready to fly home ... in every match i had a t-shirt underneath my strip, saying Merci .. i was aware that i could be going home in 90 minutes time "

When did the team feel that they could go all the way ?

"After the match against Spain, we felt physically and mentally strong, really capable of really doing something good ... we really felt that, we believed we could go all the way"

The Brazil match, the 1/4 final, what are your impressions now? Would you say it's the match of your life ?

" We were all in place, we knew that the team is the best in the world with all of the talent that's on the field. We had no choice but to play extremely well. Not just individually, but each and every one of us, together. I felt that we all played great football ... i can't say that i was the best player ... all of our players were firing on all cylinders at the same time"

Then came the final ...

"Yes, we all said that moments like this are very rare in the life of a footballer, we all wanted to make the most of it .. live it .. get the most from it"

The penalty ?

"Buffon is a grand goal keeper ... one of the best in the world ... i had time, i was calm, i could pick where i wanted the ball to go .. if i'd kicked it as i usually do, maybe i would have missed it or he would have saved it"

Was there any 'previous history' between the Italian and French players ?

"No not that i'm aware of, we've all played together and against each other .. so you know ..."

The Materazzi incident ?

"He grabbed my shirt, i told him to stop ... i said to him if you want my shirt, you can have it at the end ... as i was walking away he started saying things"

What did he say ? You know everyone wants to know.

"He repeated things about my mother and my sister, very bad things ... he kept repeating them ... i started walking away .. he continued repeating them ... "

What did he say, could you tell us ?

"No .. i can't ... i can't tell you ... it's too bad ... it's too personal ... you know, what i did is something we should never do. It's intolerable, inadmissible. No one should do what i did."

"It's Unpardonable, and i repeat that i want to excuse myself to any children or their parents who saw what i did. It's unpardonable. I repeat - it's something that should never ever happen"

You know that FIFA is going to hold an inquiry. Would you tell them what he said if they asked you ?

"I wouldn't say it in public, but if they asked me .. i would tell them, yes"

But why did the 'red mist' come down ?

"You know, we are provoked non stop during the games and sometimes things go a bit too far ... we should have tougher sanctions on players who provoke their opposite number ... if they know they'll never be sanctioned then they will continue and continue, taking things further all the time"

But, it was your last ever match, didn't you stop to think of the repercussions ? When the referee came over to you, you seemed calm. Did you realise right there and then it was over ?

"I knew there were ten minutes left ... but it was just too hard to hear those words from the mouth of a fellow player.. sometimes there are words that are much more injurious than physical things ... i'm really sorry for those who were shocked ... but he just had to stop saying those things.

"When the referee came over, i was expecting the red, but hoping for a yellow ... but i just knew, deep down, that i was going off for an inexcusable gest ... something that we shouldn't see"

How did you feel about the people who went to see you all at the hotel ?

"We were all moved ... right know i woud like to thank every one who came ... thank you all for your support ..."



(edited @ 20.30 for clarity)

That's it then, no revelations, but a very apologetic Zizou. He was very calm and just commented over the incident as it was replayed.

Although he apologised an uncountable number of times - i do think he is very, deeply sorry to have shocked so many people - i think if he was still playing, and in the same situation he would do it again...I can realate to that.