The Bully Zidane

I was disappointed to read the defences of Zidane’s thuggery but I was not surprised to see him disgrace the World Cup Final because he has a long history of being a "bully" player. He has looked a decent player when his team were on top of matches, but in the many years of watching him in the World Cup, Champions League, Italian League and Spanish League, I have never seen him turn a game around when his team needed him. He would disappear from games only to re-appear for a dive or a spiteful challenge.

Exhibit A was when Zidane contrived to have Roy Keane booked in the Champions League semi-final. Keane’s performance then reached near perfection, even though he would not be able to play in the final, and he selflessly inspired Manchester United to overturn a 2-0 deficit away from home in the imposing Stade del Alpi. Zidane became a brooding invisible man once Keane had grabbed a goal to reduce the deficit, and had no heart as Manchester United defeated Juventus. When Zidane is compared to the leadership of Roy Keane, Fabio Cannavaro or Steven Gerrard, he is not in their class as a man or a player.

Zidane was not really close to being the best player at the World Cup, but even if he had been, he should be stripped of the Golden Boot award for his selfish lunatic act of violence.