Legendary goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has shared his thoughts on Zinedine Zidane’s notorious headbutt against Marco Materazzi in the 2006 World Cup final. Buffon stated that he and Zidane have never discussed the incident in the two decades since it occurred, emphasizing it’s a “matter of respect.”
Buffon spoke candidly with The Guardian while promoting his recently released autobiography, Saved. The former goalkeeper, who recently departed his role with the Italy national team following their failure to qualify for three consecutive World Cups, reflected on his career, including his time with Juventus and the national team, memories of the Calciopoli scandal, and, naturally, the 2006 World Cup final – Italy’s last World Cup knockout stage victory.
Beyond Italy’s triumph, the 2006 final is primarily remembered for Zidane’s red card for headbutting Materazzi, an event that marked the final professional game of Zidane’s illustrious career. An excerpt from Buffon’s autobiography details his immediate reaction:
“I was about 15 metres away and I could hear the thud. If he had done that to anyone else, they would have been knocked out,” Buffon wrote. “The linesman didn’t see it. The only one who witnessed it was me. So I ran to the referee and assistant in order to attract their attention. Materazzi was on the ground, Zidane was motionless, I was protesting, and finally the game stopped.”
Continuing his interview with The Guardian, Buffon added: “I was shaken up and caught between mixed emotions. I knew it was Zidane’s last game, and he was one of the greatest and classiest players in the history of football. And I was sorry that it was ending for him in that way.”
He further elaborated on his relationship with Zidane: “We never spoke about it. Obviously we met so many different times and I believe there is a nice relationship based on mutual trust. I never wanted to talk about it as a matter of respect. He’s a champion who won everything, but I believe that deep down this has always been a painful situation and this is why I didn’t want him to remember that.”
