FIFA completely lose the plot this time

[Karabiner]

FIFA stated that "the provocation was of an insulting nature and not racist".

I rest my case.

[Rooky9]

Zidane gets a 3 game ban for his charging headbutt and Materazzi gets a 2 game ban for the derogatory comments which provoked him.  You couldn't make it up.

2 game ban? Thats laughable. He should be charged with racial agrevation and jailed.

and Zidane jailed for GBH? (or is it ABH?!)

[AdamM]

Matarazzi has pinched him and given him a mouthful and Zidane has had the control to walk away. What ever the follow up abuse was, it was enough to make him come back and nut him instincively. Sure it's a loss of temper and although he made a meal of it, the shot probably knocked the wind out of him but people are acting as if he's stabbed him in the face.

when you walk onto a football pitch you don't become exempt from the law and if one footballer causes another serious injury I'm all for them being held accountable but by the same token, when you run your mouth off there are sometimes consequences. Matarazzi has run his mouth off at the wrong bloke and got decked for it. It's not like the attack was unprovoked.

[AdamM]

Don't know what the law says about this in Germany but over here at worst Zidane is guilty of common assault but he could argue that the abuse from Matarazzi constituted threatening behaviour so he was responding with a pre-emptive strike in self defence, which he's entitled to do.

[Bongo]

Only if he said something threatening.

It seems he insulted his mother/sister. Not racially and not threateningly.

It's hard to judge without knowing what was said.

[Div]

Just to lighten the mood a little...

http://doubleas.blogspot.com/2006/07/zidane-as-seen-by-world-as-seen-by.html

[Nem]

Just to lighten the mood a little...

http://doubleas.blogspot.com/2006/07/zidane-as-seen-by-world-as-seen-by.html

[Rooky9]

At the end of the day Zidane was a mug for doing what he did and matterazi won in many ways in the end...

[Karabiner]

Let's face it, if derogatory remarks were punishable by suspension squads would need to expand tenfold.

[Rooky9]

Let's face it, if derogatory remarks were punishable by suspension squads would need to expand tenfold.

Agreed...But from when I passed my referee exams I'm sure it was!  I think it would be pretty entertaining to see how many games finish if the letter of the law was followed for foul, abussive or insulting lanuage, which is an automatic red card, whether directed at someone or just in general...

[Jon MW]

Let's face it, if derogatory remarks were punishable by suspension squads would need to expand tenfold.

Agreed...But from when I passed my referee exams I'm sure it was!  I think it would be pretty entertaining to see how many games finish if the letter of the law was followed for foul, abussive or insulting lanuage, which is an automatic red card, whether directed at someone or just in general...

It might be crediting FIFA with too much intelligence and common sense, but I think it would be appropriate to take action such as this for their showcase events. If they stick to this precedent then hopefully it should send the message that if you do anything on the pitch in a big final that shows football in a bad light - then it will be punished.

This would be a good compromise between continual punishments (if this was applied across the board) and doing nothing about the minor infringements (which is what they usually do now)

[mikkyT]

Zidane gets a 3 game ban for his charging headbutt and Materazzi gets a 2 game ban for the derogatory comments which provoked him.  You couldn't make it up.

2 game ban? Thats laughable. He should be charged with racial agrevation and jailed.

and Zidane jailed for GBH? (or is it ABH?!)

Neither. He would be charged, at most, with common assault (which equally applies to aggression of a none physcical nature, such as calling someone nasty names. A little harder to prove in court, but still classed an assault upon a person - usually dropped to a breach of the peace charge however).

It goes...
Common assault
Assault to injury
Grevious/Actual Bodily Harm

Not sure if any of those are interchangeable. Scottish criminal law is similar to English but has subtle differences.

[mikkyT]

Anyway, I've got the transcript of what Matteratzi said:

Matterattzi: "You're nothing but an old man"
Zidane laughs.
Matterattzi: "Admit it old man, you're the son of a terrorist whore and you are f**king old"
Zidane acts the bigger man and stays silent.
Matterattzi: "Old man you should have retired years ago, you pretend frenchman"
Zidane turns, laughs and walks away, gaining the moral high ground.
Matterattzi shouts: "You're not even good enough to play for Aston Villa"
At this point, Zidane turns a dark shade of red with anger and the rest is history.......


 

[Robert HM]

Don't know what the law says about this in Germany but over here at worst Zidane is guilty of common assault but he could argue that the abuse from Matarazzi constituted threatening behaviour so he was responding with a pre-emptive strike in self defence, which he's entitled to do.

Without seeing evidence of any threat in the clip I would not fancy Zidane's chances of using self defence, pre-emptive or otherwise. Only if you are sure you are going to be attacked can you use violence in advance and it is a difficult defence to run, especially if you are only reacting to words and your reaction involved turning around, returning to the oppo, and nutting him.

Zidane gets a 3 game ban for his charging headbutt and Materazzi gets a 2 game ban for the derogatory comments which provoked him.  You couldn't make it up.

2 game ban? Thats laughable. He should be charged with racial agrevation and jailed.

and Zidane jailed for GBH? (or is it ABH?!)

Neither. He would be charged, at most, with common assault (which equally applies to aggression of a none physcical nature, such as calling someone nasty names. A little harder to prove in court, but still classed an assault upon a person - usually dropped to a breach of the peace charge however).

It goes...
Common assault
Assault to injury
Grevious/Actual Bodily Harm

Not sure if any of those are interchangeable. Scottish criminal law is similar to English but has subtle differences.

Unless there were injuries it would amount to Common Assault by beating in English law (s.39 CJA), though strictly speaking any infliction of bodily discomfort is ABH (Miller 1947) though the Crown have a lower charging standard in an effort to keep up the conviction rate.





... but what do I know?

[mikkyT]

Much more than me Robert, I hope... You're a lawyer and you get paid to know these things