Zinedine Zidane’s controversial headbutt incident involving Italian defender Marco Materazzi during the 2006 World Cup is now a statue in Doha.
The bronze sculpture was designed by Adel Abdessemed, an Algerian artist who has successfully immortalized in the middle-east a memorable and iconic moment from the most prestigious tournament in the world by recreating a five-meter (16-foot) long statue.
‘Coup de tete’ as it is titled, was first unveiled outside Paris’ renowned Pompidou art museum before being transported to Qatar – a nation that has been surrounded by controversy following FIFA’s decision to conduct the 2022 World Cup in a rather hot and humid destination.
According to the Daily Mail, the statue is expected to be a perpetual fixture on the Corniche in Doha, and the director of Public Art at the Qatar Museum, Jean Paul Engelen had positive words to utter.
“We expect a lot of people to want to take photos with it, and of it,” said Engelen.
“It’s an impressive piece. It’s a huge sculpture, and it’s done in the same style as Greek mythological statues, but this glorifies human defects instead.
“It shows that although we sometimes treat footballers like gods, they’re not – they’re just human beings.”
Zizou’s rage during the 2006 World Cup final saw the playmaker sent off in extra time as the game was still deadlocked, with the French succumbing to defeat in a thrilling penalty shootout against the Azzuri and the statue is created to honour human shortcomings instead of glorifying supreme power.
