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FIFA have revealed that more than half of the players treated on the pitch during this summer’s World Cup were not actually injured. 

  
The world body’s chief medical officer, Professor Jiri Dvorak, presented his findings to the FIFA referees committee today and they showed a cheating culture at the highest level of the game.

According to Professor Dvorak, there were too many players feigning injury in Germany, with tactical reasons presented as the most likely cause of their action.

Where injuries were confirmed, the number per match was down to 2.3 per match, from 2.7 at the 2002 World Cup.

That amounted to a total of 145 injuries in 64 matches at the 2006 tournament, among them the cruciate knee injury which may mean Newcastle and England striker Michael Owen does not play again until next season.

‘Fifty-eight per cent of the players who were treated on the pitch during the 2006 World Cup eventually turned out not to be injured,’ confirmed FIFA in a statement.

Referees were praised for keeping the number of injuries down, by protecting players and ensuring elbowing offences were properly punished.

The meeting was chaired by Spanish FA chief Angel Marma Villar Llona, a vice-president of the FIFA executive committee.

He said: ‘The referees and assistant referees fulfilled the high expectations placed on them and complied with the instructions to protect players and thus the game better. The preparation period of almost four years for the World Cup in Germany paid off.’

FIFA president Sepp Blatter added: ‘I am very satisfied with the referees’ performances at the 2006 World Cup. They achieved more than their counterparts in Korea/Japan in 2002.’

via ESPN.

Zinedine Zidane has apologised for the headbutt on Italy’s Marco Materazzi which earned him a red card in Sunday’s World Cup final penalty shoot-out loss.

But the France legend did not reveal what Materazzi said, only confirming that it was "very personal" and concerned his mother and his sister.

In a French TV interview, Zidane, 34, said: "I want to ask for forgiveness from all the children who watched that.

"There was no excuse for it. I want to be open and honest about it."

But he refused to say sorry to Materazzi and said he did not regret what he did.

"You hear those things once and you try to walk away," said Zidane, who retired from football after the final in Berlin.

"That’s what I wanted to do because I am retiring. You hear it a second time and then a third time…

"This was not something to do. I want to make it clear because it was watched by two billion people and by millions of kids.

"I want to apologise to them but I can’t regret what I did because it would mean that he (Materazzi) was right to say what he said."

Zidane was sent off for headbutting Materazzi in the chest in the second period of extra-time in Sunday’s final in Berlin.

Since the incident, rumours have run rife about what Materazzi said to provoke such a reaction from the Frenchman.

There were claims the Italian had called Zidane a "terrorist", but Materazzi denied he had made such a slur.

In Tuesday’s edition of the Italian newspaper La Gazetta dello Sport, Materazzi said: "It was the kind of insult you will hear dozens of times and just slips out of the ground.

"I didn’t call Zidane a terrorist and certainly didn’t mention his mother."

Zidane, who was born and grew up in Marseille, is the son of Algerian immigrants and has suffered taunts about his heritage throughout his football career.

But Materazzi added: "I am ignorant, I don’t even know what an Islamic terrorist is; my only terrorist is her," he said pointing to his 10-month-old daughter.

"I did not bring up Zidane’s mother; for me a mother is sacred."

After Materazzi’s insult, Zidane headbutted Materazzi’s chest and was sent off, with Italy going on to win the match 5-3 on penalties.

"I held his shirt, for only a few seconds," said Materazzi, who had scored Italy’s equaliser after Zidane put France ahead from the penalty spot.

"He turned towards me and scoffed at me, looking at me with super arrogance, up and down.

"He said ‘if you really want my shirt, you can have it later.’ It’s true, I shot back with an insult."

Fifa is to investigate Zidane’s sending-off while Fifa president Sepp Blatter has hinted the France star could be stripped of his World Cup best player award.

via BBC.

Zinedine Zidane’s agent says the France captain headbutted Marco Materazzi in Sunday’s World Cup final because the Italian made a "very serious" comment.

Zidane appeared to react to something that was said and was dismissed for his violent charge into his opponent.

"He told me Materazzi said something very serious to him but he wouldn’t tell me what," agent Alain Migliaccio told BBC Five Live Sport.

Sources in France say it is believed Materazzi insulted Zidane’s mother.

Migliaccio, who spoke to Zidane at 2am on Monday, added that Zidane did not elaborate on what Materazzi said.

"I don’t know. Zinedine didn’t want to talk about it but it will all come out in the next week," he said.

"He is a man who normally lets things wash over him but on Sunday night something exploded inside him.

"He was very disappointed and sad. He didn’t want it to end this way."

Meanwhile, France defender William Gallas also believes Zidane was provoked into the headbutt.

"I didn’t see it but sometimes football is not only with the ball," the Chelsea star told BBC Sport.

"Sometimes when you have a player who is very clever and says something to you then maybe you are angry and want to ‘kill’ that player.

"Maybe, and I say maybe, he has made a mistake."

Materazzi refused to answer questions afterwards and Gallas saw that as an admission of guilt by the Italian.

"I don’t know what he said. You’ll have to ask him but he’s gone. I know why he’s gone because maybe he’s done something wrong."

On his way back to the dressing room after his 110th-minute dismissal, Zidane passed the World Cup trophy.

It brought a sad end to his glittering career and his misery was compounded when France went on to lose 5-3 on penalties.

"Zidane didn’t say anything," said Gallas. "He was very disappointed for everybody - for the team and himself.

"I’m very sad for him. It was his last World Cup and everybody wanted to win for him.

"We deserved to win but that is life. I think we played very well and better than Italy but sometimes football is very strange.

"Everybody is disappointed. I hope we will maybe win next time."

French midfielder Patrick Vieira was forced to leave the field because of injury during the second half.

The former Arsenal star said: "We are very frustrated because you work so hard to get to the final and then lose the way we did on penalties.

"That makes it more difficult but that’s the way it is and we just have to live with it."

On the Zidane incident, he added: "I don’t want to talk about it."

The father of Marco Materazzi believed his son was the real victim in the incident.

"I spoke to my son briefly after the game," said Giuseppe Materazzi.

"Marco had told me he had been provoked. It’s as though they have something against him each time.

"In the past two years, Marco has only been on the receiving end and the injuries he has sustained are proof of this.

"I don’t want to be controversial, but there are things that have to be said instead of just pointing the finger and putting a black mark against someone."

via BBC Sports.

WIMBLEDON, England - So much for Amelie Mauresmo’s reputation for getting tight and failing to win big matches.

Mauresmo rallied from a set down and held firm down the stretch to beat Justine Henin-Hardenne, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 Saturday to win the Wimbledon title for her second Grand Slam championship.

“I don’t want anyone to talk about my nerves anymore,” she said.

Mauresmo became the first French women’s singles champion at Wimbledon since Suzanne Lenglen won the last of her six titles in 1925.

The top-seeded Mauresmo also stopped No. 3 Henin-Hardenne from completing a career Grand Slam. The Belgian was trying to win the only major title missing from her collection.

It was the second Grand Slam final between the two players this year — and this time there was an outright winner. Henin-Hardenne retired at 6-1, 2-0 down at the Australian Open in January, handing Mauresmo her first major title.

After Henin-Hardenne hit a forehand into the net on the first match point, Mauresmo dropped to her knees on the grass and buried her face in her hands. After the handshake at the net, she climbed into the stands and shared a long, tearful hug with her coach, Loic Courteau.

A Frenchman made a 686-kilometre (426-mile) round-trip from Paris to London and then back again purely to place a 10,000-euro (6,900-pound, 12,600-dollar) bet on Brazil to win the World Cup, bookmaker William Hill has said.

The mystery punter is said to have been "hopping up and down" outside the chain’s branch at Waterloo station, where Eurostar trains linking London and Paris start and terminate, waiting for staff to open up.

He then handed over a stash of Euros before rushing off to catch the train back to France, leaving the manager to chase him with the betting slip.

"The man was clearly in a hurry to catch the train back. He told us that he would be back on July 10 (when the World Cup final is held) to collect the winnings," said William Hill spokesman Rupert Adams Tuesday.

"We didn’t have the heart to tell him that he could have placed the bet on either the telephone or on the Internet."

The man staked 10,000 euros at odds of 11 to four and will collect 37,500 euros if Brazil lift the trophy.

Unlike Britain, where wagers can be placed at a number of privately-owned chains, betting in France is more tightly controlled with two franchises, one running bets on horseracing, the other lottery and scratchcard games.