Rumors Head On...

The latest rumours as to why Zidane headbutted Materazzi include, according to the French website Nouvelobs.com:

--According to Brazil's TV Globo and its band of Brazilian lipreading specialists, Materazzi called Zidane's sister a prostitute and followed that with an unidentified insult against Zidane himself

--According to the British Independent newspaper, Materazzi insulted Zidane's Algerian origins and possibly also implicated him in a doping scandal from days in Italy at Juventus

--According to the British Guardian newspaper, Materazzi called Zidane a terrorist

--According to one of Zidane's cousins, he must have been called a terrorist in which case the cousin says "he had a right to react as he did"

--According to France's telejournalist Bernard Tapie, the insult must have been directed at Zidane's mother

Well, clearly the rumors abound and persist but it seems certain that Materazzi, not Zidane, will ultimately be the butt of reproach once we find out what was really said. Nonetheless, Materazzi for his part has denied any reference to Zidane being a terrorist stating only that "the whole world saw exactly what happened on television."