Rome: The World Cup’s biggest mystery: what Italian defender Marco Materazzi told French captain Zinedine Zidane is finally out.
Zidane head-butt Materazzi near the end of extra-time during the July 9 final in Berlin.
Millions of people watched the French star hitting Materazzi and it was clear that he had been provoked by an abuse.
Yes, Materazzi said something about his rival’s sister.
Lip readers, commentators and psychologists have since July 9 speculated about what Materazzi told Zidane.
In an interview to Gazzetta dello Sport Materazzi has said that it was a remark he made about Zidane's sister that provoked the French star.
Materazzi said that when Zidane offered to give him his France jersey after the match in response to persistent shirt-tugging by the Italian, he had replied: "I would prefer your sister."
Materazzi insisted, however, that he should not be blamed for sparking the incident.
"I did not cause it," he told Gazzetta. "I answered verbally with a provocation to defend myself.
"Yes, I was tugging his shirt, but when he said to me scornfully 'If you want my shirt so much I'll give it to you afterwards,' is that not a provocation? I answered that I'd prefer his sister, it's true."
"It's not a particularly nice thing to say, I recognise that. But loads of players say worse things. I didn't even know he had a sister before all this happened," added Materazzi.
FIFA later banned Materazzi for two matches, while Zidane was banned for three games and fined £3,260.
Asked on 12 July exactly Materazzi had said, Zidane would only offer that it was 'very personal' and concerned his mother and his sister.
He had said that one hears those things once and try to walk away.
"That's what I wanted to do because I am retiring. You hear it a second time and then a third time...," Zidane had added.
Zidane, who has since retired from football, has never specified what Materazzi said to him and has refused to apologise to his opponent.
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