Zinedine Zidane says he has no regrets over Marco Materazzi headbutt

Zinedine Zidane says he does not regret headbutting Marco Materazzi in the 2006 World Cup final, although he admits he is not proud of the incident.

The France manager was speaking before Friday’s Nations League meeting with Italy, which will be played at the Stade de France. The match will be Zidane’s return to the stadium where he remains an important figure in the eyes of French supporters.

Zidane was sent off in extra time of the 2006 final after headbutting Materazzi. It was the final appearance of his playing career, with Italy eventually winning the match on penalties in Berlin.

Asked about the incident, Zidane said the images would continue to follow him.

“Those images will always be there to remind me of what happened in 2006, because they are shown all the time,” he said.

He added: “Fortunately, that was not the only thing I did. There were other, more beautiful things, so I try to focus more on the positive aspects.”

Zidane has not spoken to Materazzi since that night, but said he viewed the incident as part of his career rather than something he wished to erase.

“I do not regret it, because it was part of my career,” he said. “In 2006, I did not know I would become a manager. I thought it was the end of everything, which made it very difficult for me.”

The 54-year-old also made clear that accepting the incident as part of his history did not mean he approved of it.

“I am not proud of what happened. I have said that again and again, but it is part of my career. You cannot do only great things,” Zidane said.

Zidane took charge of France in late July, succeeding his former international team-mate Didier Deschamps, who left the role after 14 years in charge.

His first two matches as France manager were both away from home. France defeated Turkey 1-0 before recording another 1-0 victory against Belgium in the Nations League.

Friday’s match is expected to be played in front of a full crowd of about 80,000 at the national stadium north of Paris. It will mark Zidane’s first appearance at the Stade de France since his playing days; his last match there was a friendly against Mexico in 2006.

“​​It will be a very emotional moment,” Zidane said.

France and Italy meet in the third round of the Nations League, with Zidane facing the national side against which his international career ended 20 years ago.