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SOCCER
Zidane receives punishment
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French midfielder Zinedine Zidane was punished by FIFA on July 20 for headbutting Italy's defender Marco Materazzi in the World Cup final July 9.
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Zinedine Zidane will perform community service as penance for his infamous head butt on Marco Materazzi in the World Cup final. Materazzi didn't get off unscathed, either. The French midfielder, voted the best player in the championships, also was fined $6,000 by FIFA on July 25 and agreed to work with children in lieu of a three-game suspension. The penalty is irrelevant because at 34, Zidane has retired from soccer. Materazzi, the Italian defender who provoked the head butt by insulting Zidane, was suspended for two games and fined $4,000. Italy won its fourth World Cup on July 9 when it defeated France 5-3 on penalties in the final after Zidane was shown a red card.
The Japan Times Weekly: July 29, 2006
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