Zinedine Zidane was not the first and will not be the last player to be sent off in a World Cup Final but his actions today will go down in legend as how not to show sportsmanship. After a period of confusion among the officials, his 110th minute headbutt on defender Marco Materazzi resulted in his ejection from his last appearance in international duty and invalidated him for the penalty shootout which France subsequently lost.
Horacio Elizondo, the referee who sent off Wayne Rooney the quarter-final, reached for the red card after consulting with a linesman. Zidane made his way slowly down the tunnel in tears.
Perhaps of note is what happens now for Italian football. Perhaps the players may have just saved hundreds of people in embroiled in a corruption scandal in the Serie A, just as it was when they last conquered the world, 24 years ago.
In the stadium where Jesse Owens won four gold Olympic gold medals, Italy won the World Cup for the fourth time. 70 years ago the world met here under very different circumstances, but for the past few weeks the world has been united.
FIFA is an organisation that boasts more members than the UN, but the weapons of warfare are equal for all nations. In the end all that's out there is 22 players, green grass and a football.
It's coming home, it's coming home
It's coming, Football's coming home
It's coming home, it's coming home
It's coming, Football's coming home
Tears for heroes dressed in grey, no plans for final day
Stay in bed, drift away
It could have been all songs in the street
It was nearly complete, it was nearly so sweet
And now I'm singing
Three lions on a shirt
Jules Rimmet still gleaming
Forty years of hurt
Never stopped me dreaming.
Roll on 2010 in South Africa.
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