Marco Materazzi (File Photo/Xinhua)

¡¡ROME, July 20 (Xinhua) -- FIFA's disciplinary committee banned Italy star Marco Materazzi for two games Thursday for provoking France's Zinedine Zidane during the World Cup final.

    The ban was only one game less than that handed out to Zidane, whose head-butt into Materazzi's chest earned him a red card eight minutes from the end of extra time.

    Zidane said on French television he did not regret the violent conduct because the Inter defender offended "the women in my family ".

    Materazzi denied insulting Zidane's mother, claiming that " mothers are sacred to me" after losing his own while still a teenager.

    But he admitted to Milan daily Corriere della Sera that "by exclusion" he had offended Zidane's sister.

    The ban caused outrage in Italy Thursday.

    "It's a scandalous ruling," said AC Milan captain and former Azzurri great Paolo Maldini, "It is scandalous that a player should be banned for saying something.

    "It is the first time that something like this has happened. It is just because Materazzi is Italian and they want to justify the gesture of a great champion who, however, did wrong," he added.

    Italian Green party MP Angelo Bonelli described it as a "head-butt to Italian sport".

    "Putting Materazzi's words on the same level as Zidane's violent, dangerous reaction is a terrible message to the public and, above all, to the young people of the world," he said.

    Communist Refoundation MP Pietro Folena said the decision was an "incitement to violence".

    The player's father, Giuseppe Materazzi, said it established a " dangerous precedent".

    Sergio Campana, the president of the Italian professional footballers' association said "It would have been fairer to have given a five-match ban to Zidane and one game to Materazzi," he said, recalling that Italy midfielder Daniele De Rossi was banned for four games for violent conduct at Germany 2006."

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