Zidane reveals that he was happy Buffon got him sent off in the World Cup

Former France midfielder and eternal footy legend Zinedine Zidane has said he is glad he was sent-off for absolutely destroying Marco Materazzi’s pride with the glorious head-butt in the 2006 World Cup Final. Mostly because he doesn’t have to live with the guilt of escaping punishment. [Telegraph.co.uk]

“It (the sending off) was a very good thing,” the former Real Madrid and Juventus playmaker told France Football.

“It’s good that (Italian keeper Gianluigi) Buffon signalled what I had done to the referee because it was not pretty.

"I don’t know how I could have lived with it had France become world champions and I had stayed on the pitch.”

And Zidane, who helped France lift the World Cup in 1998, believes there has been an over-reaction (to say the least) to Thierry Henry’s handball that led to France beating Ireland in November and securing a place in South Africa.

“Many people outside football got involved, people who love you when you lift trophies and let you down when things go wrong,” he said. “I’m certain Henry is not proud of his gesture.”