Zidane Head-butting Statue Unveiled in Paris

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In the courtyard of the Pompidou Center in Paris now stands a 15 foot tall statue of Zinedine Zidane head-butting Marco Materazzi, the famous scene from the 2006 world cup.

The sculpture, crafted by Adel Abdessemed commemorates the 2006 world cup defeat and resulting Bronze finish. It also screams “Hey world, we’re France, and we’re totally cool with head-butting other players on the field of play”.

In actuality, here’s the meaning of the statue:

“This statue goes against the tradition of making statues to honor victories,” said Phillipe Alain Michaud, who directed the exhibition. “It is an ode to defeat… Zidane’s downward glance recalls that of Adam, chased from paradise.”

The story behind the head-butt, for those of you who were not around to witness goes as follows: Materazzi allegedly insulted Zidane’s Algerian mother with extremely racist and abusive language, Zidane retaliated with the now infamous head-butt and the rest is history. Both players were fined by FIFA for their actions in the scenario.

And for reference, here’s a look at the actual incident.