August 24, 2006 Issue                                       

©2006 The Chestnut Hill Local

Kids Section

Forza Italia! Long Live Sportsmanship!
By Alex deBerardinis, Grade 7

What do you remember about the 2006 World Cup Final? The spectacular back and forth extra time period or the vicious head butt by French midfielder Zinedine Zidane? The amazing World Cup winning PK by Fabio Grosso or the vicious head butt by French midfielder Zinedine Zidane? The stellar Italian defensive unit or the vicious head butt by French midfielder Zinedine Zidane? Unfortunately, what people will remember about the 2006 World Cup is not the spectacular game-winning PK but instead the awful head butt by Zinedine Zidane. To me, it seems horrible that teamwork was outshined by unsportsmanlike behavior on an international stage.

And what about Zidane’s head butt, was it justified or not? Although my opinion is only one out of many, I saw the head butt as an unsportsmanlike act of maliciousness. And that stands, regardless of what provoked the attack in the first place. My point is simple. Zidane is regarded as one of the best football (soccer) players in France’s history. He’s a pro and he lost his cool, possibly costing not only his teammates but the entire nation of France, the World Cup. For an athlete, sportsmanship and skill should go hand in hand.