Note: This entry is be no means an attack to any person or player. It is written in good faith. The writer will be strictly impartial with the objective of trying to clear a mere misunderstanding. The example quoted is by no means the exact replica of what TeamCuzz experienced in the previous game, but certain similarities could be drawn. Please view this with an open mind.
For a start, close this window if the name Zidane is not familiar to you. As I've guessed, none of you did. Zinedine Yazid Zidane, or Zizou, is synonymous to football particularly in the past 10 to 15 years. He has blessed the football world with his mastery technique and countless "oh my God" skills. Up till recently, he is the most expensive player when he transformed from "the Old Lady" to a Galactico in 2001.
Despite his fame and brilliance on the pitch, he will always be remembered for the wrong reasons. Yes the headbutt. Yes the 2006 World Cup Finals. In his last professional game representing the Les Bleus on the grandest stage of them all, Zizou was sent off for his outrageous headbutt on Marco Materazzi. Many would have seen it sometime in their lives, and many have interpreted it differently. Here's a quick reminder of what happened, with some versions seen through several eyes.
What was your reaction when you saw it for the first time? Odious? Unacceptable? Well, that was the general reaction of many fans out there. But let us take a step back to understand this situation. Did Zizou do it because he lacked composure on such a major occassion? Or did he do it because he badly wanted to win his second World Cup medal? Or did he do it to bow out from the football scene dramatically? Many questions come to mind, but they remain unanswered. Such ambiguity manifests different kinds of interpretations of what happened. What is clear though is that no rational player will ever do such a heinous act and bring detriment to his own team. There must have been something to it that escaped our very eyes.
Zidane later apologised but added that he did not regret his offence, because he felt that this would condone Materazzi's actions. It took a year for the world to know what really happened. In 2007, Materazzi finally confirmed that his precise words to Zidane were "Preferisco la puttana di tua sorella". Translated into gentler, censored English, it carries an unpleasant & degrading impression towards Zizou's sister. Then French president, Jacques Chirac, found the offence (headbutt) unacceptable, but understood why Zizou did what he did, and hailed him as a "man of heart and conviction".
One particular life lesson could be learnt here. Any event that happens can result in a million different interpretations based on what was seen and heard. Past reputation might also come into play, and that will highly influence those interpretations we make. The discrepancy between what people think happened and what really happened is the root cause of any misunderstanding. So, it is highly critical here that the people involved reveal their true versions of the story. Because their interpretation will shed more light and clear any misunderstandings. We might not accept what happened, but at the very least, we could try to understand it.
Till the point we hear them reveal their version of the story, we should reserve our judgement as far as possible. For such judgements could make, or break, a team. The latter would then contradict the very birth of TeamCuzz.
Note: This entry is be no means an attack to any person or player. It is written in good faith. The writer will be strictly impartial with the objective of trying to clear a mere misunderstanding. The example quoted is by no means the exact replica of what TeamCuzz experienced in the previous game, but certain similarities could be drawn. Please view this with an open mind.
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