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| Zinedine Zidane is shown
the red card by referee Horacio Elizondo after head butting Materazzi.
(Xinhua Photo) | BEIJING, July
20 (Xinhuanet) -- FIFA's disciplinary committee is preparing to announce a
decision on whether it would punish Zinedine Zidane over the former France
captain's head-butt in the World Cup final.
Soccer's governing body heard Zidane's account Thursday of
what led to the incident. After the decision is written down, it will be
translated and disclosed to the Italy and France teams before it is made public,
FIFA spokesman Pekka Odriozola said.
French soccer federation president Jean-Pierre Escalettes
said the decision would be announced at 2:30 p.m. local time, according to
the report of The Associated Press.
Former France captain Zinedine Zidane spent around 90
minutes in the private hearing at FIFA's Swiss headquarters. The 34-year-old
three-times FIFA World Player of the Year was driven past a media scrum of some
50 reporters.
Zidane gave little reaction to a handful of fans wearing
France team shirts who cheered and shouted messages of encouragement to the
player beforehand.
He headbutted the chest of Italian defender Marco
Materazzi in the closing stages of the July 9 final, which Italy subsequently
won on penalties. Zidane says he attacked Materazzi because he insulted his
mother and sister. Materazzi denies insulting Zidane's mother.
Zidane later apologized to children who watched the match,
but said he didn't regret his actions because he was provoked by repeated harsh
insults about his family.
Zidane, who retired from soccer after the July 9 game in
Berlin, faces a possible fine and a symbolic ban. He could also be stripped of
his Golden Ball award as the best player in the tournament.
(Agencies)
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