Video referee

Fifa

For years there's been talk about using new technologies to help the referee. Communication devices for the ref and his assistants, an electrical eye to see if a ball was over the line, and why not a screen to watch a replay of what really happened.
Refrees can talk and listen to their mates now and there is talk about about installing an little eye like they have on tennis courts, but FIFA absolutely doesn't want the referee to judge after seeing the replay. And that is exactly what happened during the World Cup final between Italy and France. And how could it not?

Zidane

Hero, best player, come-back kid Zinedine Zidane walked next to Materazzi arguing about something. Then the Italian defender said something that angered Zidane, maybe something about his mother or wife - whatever makes Mediterranean footballers mad - and Zidane butted his head into Materazzi's chest.
It wasn't shown life on television, but a lot of players saw it, among them keeper Buffon who ran towards Elizondo to protest.
Elizondo hadn't seen it, neither had his assistants. But because the game had been stopped, and there was time enogh for replays, everybody - millions of people - saw what happened on tv and on the giant screen in the stadium.
What else could Elizondo do but send off Zidane?
But to show the world he didn't get it from the screen - because he isn't supposed to - he walked over to his assistant and pretended to discuss it with him. As if they don't have a microphone stuck to their cheeks.
A smart move though, not only by Elizondo but also by Materazzi who probably knew how Zidane would react considering his history as a hothead after the millions of fouls committed against him. Zidane even has a history as a head-butter, having been dismissed for it while playing for Juventus in the 1999 Champions League defeat to Hamburg.

what if

What if the German tv director decides not to repeat or even show the footage of a foul? What if the one head butting had been a German? Would German tv have shown it? This is serious stuff. Think about it before you call: video refereeing!.

boring

Time also to maybe consider a few changes to speed up a match, make it more interesting. This was a boring final, a waste of time for everyone not Italian or French. Elizondo did his best, he had to give France a penalty, had to book a few players and managed to end the fight that was luring at the start of the match. If Elizondo hadn't pretend to not have seen what Zidane did on the screen in the stadium, but openly had stood there watching it, FiFA couldn't have ignored the situation any longer.

3 years later

Materazzi wrote in his (auto)biography what happened. According to him, he pulled Zidane's shirt in the box and Zidane said that if the Italian wanted his shirt that badly he had to wait till after the match. Then they both walked off and Materazzi, angered by Zidane's arrogance, called to Zidane "preferisco la puttana di tua sorella" - I'd rather have your whore of a sister.

art

Here they are together forever in a sculpture by Algerian artist Adel Abdessemed.