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Fourth official says he witnessed Zidane head-butt
The fourth official in the World Cup final says he saw Zidane head-butt Materazzi, rejecting claims that the sent-off was a result of television replays.
- Indo-Asian News Service
- Updated: February 25, 2007 10:35 AM IST
Read Time:1 min
Madrid:
The fourth official in the World Cup final says he saw Zinedine Zidane head-butt Marco Materazzi, rejecting claims that television replays led to France's captain being sent off. Referee Horacio Elizondo didn't show Zidane a red card until about two minutes after his violent act on the Italy defender on Sunday, leading France coach Raymon Domenech to suggest TV replays were used because the referee and his two assistants hadn't seen the incident. But fourth offical Luis Medina Cantalejo, who informed Elizondo of the head-butt, denied the claim. "I saw it live," the Spaniard told Cadena Ser Radio. "It is what you all saw on television. I have not made up anything at all. What happened, happened." Cantalejo said Zidane had always been polite to referees on the field. "It is sad to see a player of this caliber go out in this way," he added. In a separate interview, Cantalejo told sports daily Marca he didn't know what Materazzi may have said to provoke Zidane. (AP)Topics mentioned in this article
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