Zinedine Zidane confirmed that he does not regret headbutting Italian Marco Materazzi during the 2006 World Cup final, despite not feeling proud of what happened, ahead of the upcoming match between France and Italy.
Zidane said during the press conference: "Those clips are replayed over and over again, and I have seen them myself. I haven't spoken to Materazzi since that day."
He added: "I am not proud of what I did, and I have always said so, but at the same time, I do not feel regret. It is a moment from my career, and fortunately, it was not the entirety of my career."
He continued: "There are positive and enjoyable moments, and I prefer to remember those, as no one's career can be filled only with wonderful moments."
Zidane's comments come before the match against Italy, which will be the French team's first home game since he took charge of the squad following Didier Deschamps, after achieving two victories at the start of his Nations League campaign against Turkey and Belgium.
Regarding returning to the French stadium, Zidane said: "Returning here is very emotional, and it will be even more impactful tomorrow when the stands are filled with fans. There is no fear, otherwise I would not be here. I have never thought about failure throughout my career; on the contrary, I only see opportunities."
Kylian Mbappé will miss the match due to injury, while Zidane emphasized his confidence in the rest of the team members, stating: "There is no starting team and reserve team, but rather a squad comprising 23 players, and it is up to me to make decisions for each match."
Zidane also addressed the issue involving Momo Senhaji, the former security officer of the French national team, who was dismissed from the Clairefontaine camp after being accused of demanding money from several players, saying: "I am not happy, as I know him well. Others are handling the matter, and I cannot comment on it, but I wish him all the best, and I will keep the positive memories."
