ROME, Italy (Reuters) -- Zinedine Zidane said on Wednesday he was provoked into head-butting defender Marco Materazzi during the World Cup final because the Italian insulted his mother and his sister.

In an interview with television channel Canal Plus, French captain Zidane apologized to children and fans but did not regret the attack that led to his sending off.

"He (Materazzi) pronounced very tough words about my mother and my sister. I tried not to listen to him but he kept repeating them," Zidane said.

"I knew it was my last game and I knew that there were only 10 minutes to play but things happened very swiftly", he said.

"I am a man before anything else," he added.

Zidane reacted to the insults by ramming his head into Materazzi's chest in the second period of extra time of the match that ended 1-1 and saw Italy triumph in a penalty shoot-out.

Widely regarded as the greatest player of his generation and playing the last game of his career, Zidane was shown a red card, leaving his team-mates to finish the match without him.

He denied Materazzi called him an Islamic "terrorist", as was reported by a Paris-based anti-racism group.

Zidane is of Algerian origin. His parents were born in the village of Aguemone in the Kabylie region.

FIFA decided on Tuesday to open a disciplinary investigation into the incident and Sepp Blatter, head of soccer's ruling body, hinted that Zidane could be stripped of the tournament's best player award.

The French playmaker said he was ready to face any disciplinary hearing and stressed that he was confident about the outcome.

"If someone can read (Materazzi's) lips, they will show that I'm telling the truth. The one who is really guilty must be punished," Zidane said.

"I don't want to attack anyone but I want to defend myself. I did something wrong and I was punished for that. I ended up alone in the changing rooms", Zidane said.

"But I was the one who was provoked and I reacted. It is always the one who reacts who is punished, never the one who provokes and this is not fair," he said.

Zidane apologized for his behaviour but he said he could not regret it.

"I know this is something that one should not do. I want to say that loud and clear because it was watched by two billion people and by millions of kids", Zidane said.

"I want to apologize to them but I can't regret what I did because it would mean that he (Materazzi) was right to say what he said.

"I have taught my kids to respect people and I have taught them that they deserve to be respected in return. I couldn't let something like that be said whout any reaction."

Blatter, meanwhile, was quoted as saying in an interview in Rome's La Repubblica newspaper: "FIFA's executive committee has the right and duty to intervene when it sees behavior that is contrary to sports ethics."

Asked if Zidane risked being stripped of the award for the World Cup's best player, Blatter said: "Before we make any decision we have to await the outcome of the investigation.

"Being presumed innocent until proven otherwise is sacred principle."

But he added: "Seeing him behave this way really, really hurt me."

FIFA's Golden Ball award was decided by media at the World Cup with the voting finishing before the halftime interval in the final.

"I don't want to attack anyone but I want to defend myself. I did something wrong and I was punished for that. I ended up alone in the changing rooms", Zidane said.

"But I was the one who was provoked and I reacted. It is always the one who reacts who is punished, never the one who provokes and this is not fair," he said.

Zidane apologized for his behaviour but he said he could not regret it.

"I know this is something that one should not do. I want to say that loud and clear because it was watched by two billion people and by millions of kids", Zidane said.

"I want to apologize to them but I can't regret what I did because it would mean that he (Materazzi) was right to say what he said.

"I have taught my kids to respect people and I have taught them that they deserve to be respected in return. I couldn't let something like that be said whout any reaction."

Bismillah,

Didn't most of us realize that it was something like this that was said to aggravate Zidane so?  He says that it was the wrong thing to do but in the same breath says that he should defend himself and can't regret what he did.

It was wrong.  Why can I say that?  I am human; I make mistakes.  But looking at our beloved Prophet Muhammad's example, Zidane's ultimate error is not realizing that he should look to Muhammad, pbuh's example for the answer to what he should have done.

Peace

Suleyman wrote: The match should be re-played,this was not a world cup final....

why??

What happened never interferred with the game!

herjihad wrote: Zidane's ultimate error is not realizing that he should look to Muhammad, pbuh's example for the answer to what he should have done. Peace

You know when you are in the middle of something like that, playing a game that requires a one track mind on the game there is no time to stop and think or talk to the other person that he is wrong.

when one is repeatedly harrassed, as zidane has mentioned he was thru out the game and didn't do anything beforehand, it is natural to react. IT must have been the atmost last resort that he did, so I agree with him that what he did was perhaps wrong but at the same time he needed to stop the italian guy. The italian guy deserved what he got. 

Zidane did the right thing in his statement to the press and showing the kids what is right and wrong.

I thought you guys are up for defence of one self, so why is it different for Zidane?

Bismillah,

Zidane apologized for his behaviour but he said he could not regret it.

"I know this is something that one should not do. I want to say that loud and clear because it was watched by two billion people and by millions of kids", Zidane said.

"I want to apologize to them but I can't regret what I did because it would mean that he (Materazzi) was right to say what he said.

"I have taught my kids to respect people and I have taught them that they deserve to be respected in return. I couldn't let something like that be said whout any reaction."

Bismillah,No, dear Brother Zidane, if you regret it, it would not mean that he was right to say the evil things he said.  It would mean that you acknowledge that we strive to emulate our dear Prophet Muhammad's sterling character, and although we fall short, we can keep trying because it pleases our Loving lord to do so.

Peace

Angel wrote: Suleyman wrote: The match should be re-played,this was not a world cup final.... why?? What happened never interferred with the game!

I did not satisfy by the cause of the polemics,it should be repeated....

Angel wrote: herjihad wrote: Zidane's ultimate error is not realizing that he should look to Muhammad, pbuh's example for the answer to what he should have done. Peace You know when you are in the middle of something like that, playing a game that requires a one track mind on the game there is no time to stop and think or talk to the other person that he is wrong. when one is repeatedly harrassed, as zidane has mentioned he was thru out the game and didn't do anything beforehand, it is natural to react. IT must have been the atmost last resort that he did, so I agree with him that what he did was perhaps wrong but at the same time he needed to stop the italian guy. The italian guy deserved what he got.  Zidane did the right thing in his statement to the press and showing the kids what is right and wrong. I thought you guys are up for defence of one self, so why is it different for Zidane?

Bismillah,

When he sets an example as a world leader, he should set a complete one.  Maybe you don't know, as a non-Muslim, Angel, the story of the man who used to leave a bag of excrement at the prophet Muhammad, pbuh's door every day.  When it wasn't there one day, our amazingly kind prophet asked about the welfare of this man, found he was ill, and went to his home to visit him.  The man did become a Muslim, of course.

When Zidane acknowledged that he made an error, he backhanded that remorse by saying he did not regret making that error.  His best course would be to acknowledge what our beloved prophet would have done, and apologize that he is only human and still struggling in his personal jihad to live up to such a lofty example, and that In Shah Allah, one day, he might be closer to emulating our dear prophet than that day on the field.

Peace

Zidane could have ignored insults directed only at him but he had no right to ignore insults directed against his family.

Assalamu Alaikum,

Sister herjihad: "Maybe you don't know, as a non-Muslim, Angel, the story of the man who used to leave a bag of excrement at the prophet Muhammad, pbuh's door every day.  When it wasn't there one day, our amazingly kind prophet asked about the welfare of this man, found he was ill, and went to his home to visit him.  The man did become a Muslim, of course."

Actually it was a woman. Nevertheless, the message of mercy and compassion remains the same.

In sports, things of that sort happen as Zidane faced. And I think, if Zidane had followed Prophet's ( SAW ) example, that only would have conveyed the positive message to billions of viewers. If that incident was not excusable, according to him, that is all he should say. There is no point to go further that he didn't regret it. Provocations do happen in modern football. But, as a super star of the sport, he could have dealt the entire matter in a far better way.

I also pray that he realizes what went wrong, and may Allah bless him with strength, and his otherwise shining career becomes a wonderful example for the youths.

Peace