France coach Zinedine Zidane emphasized that he does not feel proud of what happened in the 2006 World Cup final against Italy, confirming that the incident remains part of his career, but stating that he prefers to focus on positive memories.
The French national team is preparing to face Italy tomorrow, Friday, in the third matchday of Group One in the UEFA Nations League.
Zidane said during the press conference about his memories of the 2006 World Cup final against Italy: "Images always remind me of what happened, because I encounter this issue frequently everywhere I go."
Zidane left the match before its conclusion after receiving a red card for headbutting Marco Materazzi due to an altercation between them, and France lost the final on penalties.
He continued, "But fortunately, I did not only do this act during my career; there are other more enjoyable things, so I prefer thinking about the positive aspects."
He added, "Italy, as I mentioned, was very special to me, because it is the place where I became an important player."
Regarding whether he felt regret at the time, he said: "No, absolutely not. I do not consider it regret, because it is part of my career. I am not proud of what happened, and I have said that before, and I repeat it today, but it remains part of my career."
He added, "A person cannot be proud of everything they do in their life. I believe we are all on a journey in life and sometimes do things that are not good."
He concluded, "But my focus now is on what is coming, and what will happen tomorrow in the match against Italy while I am the coach of the French national team."
France tops Group One with six points in a group that includes Belgium, Italy, and Turkey.
France won the first match against Turkey by one goal to nil.
Les Bleus defeated Belgium in the second matchday by one goal to nil.
