There are reports that it was a racial slur. The UK Daily Mirror says the slur was "Arab Terrorist." Materrazi, the 'victim' in this episode, obviously instigated Zidane, of the specifics we have no idea. In the past, Zidane has been taunted both for his French citizenship (by a Saudi) and for his religion. He received red-cards for his retaliation both of those times. Materrrazi's father "managed the notoriously right-wing, racist Italian club S.S. Lazio. In 2000, England players received racist threats and chants from Lazio fans and Lazio players had even, until recently, openly used the fascist stiff-arm salute at games."
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