Should we still respect Zinedine Zidane?

Not often do we come across a player who transforms an entire footballing nation from apprentices of Europe into the monarchs of a generation. Zinedine Zidane was certainly such a player.

The French hosts of World Cup '98 were a seemingly mediocre team leading up to the finals. Even their home advantage of the finals didn't give the world much expectation of what was to come. Zidane pummelled in two headed goals against the Brazilian kings of football in the final to be crowned World Champions. They subsequently became champions of Europe at Euro 2000 as well, lead by the respected Zidane. For the time being, Zidane had erased the glory and hype around the Brazilian footballing way of life, and transferred all focus on the French flair. They were unstoppable. Players like Lillian Thuram, Thierry Henry and Nicolas Anelka were suddenly at the helm of football, rapidly being transferred to the club giants of European football. Zidane was the hero of French, and in many senses, world football.

Things fell apart at World Cup '02. France left the group stages without scoring a single goal. They were shamed. But, they returned will full force at World Cup 2006, reaching the final beating the Brazilians on the way again. The French looked strong in the final until the incident. When Zidane headbutted Materazzi and was sent off in the World Cup final, he had lost all respect. This was the hero's grand exit from the game he had changed. Zidane watched his flourishing work crumble as Italy beat France on penalties in the 2006 World Cup Final.

The events leading up to the World Cup in South Africa in 2010 shamed France even more, as France knocked out Ireland with an obvious hand ball goal to take them to South Africa instead of the Irish. The French team were booed more often by the French than any other "supporters". Their performance was abysmal, not looking like a team at all. This was life after Zidane. Should we excuse Zizou? Should we still respect a great player despite a horrible retaliation on the world's greatest footballing stage? I, for one, respect Zidane as a footballer despite the incident, as musos respect Kurt Cobain despite his suicide.