Why, Zidane? Why?
As the Italians' appeal was upheld, and bewildered billions watched on, observers recounted the World Cup group match eight years ago when Zidane was sent off for stomping on Saudia Arabia's Faoud Amin.
Later, most reports agreed that the Saudi player had insulted Berbers, a nomadic North African tribe Zidane's ancestors belonged to.
Talk also inevitably veered to the 14 red cards Zidane has seen in his illustrious career and his head-butting of Hamburg's Jochen Kentz in 2000 in a Juventus-Hamburg Champions League match. That raging bull act earned Zidane a five-match suspension.
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