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The original was posted on /r/soccer by /u/Sparky-moon on 2026-02-28 10:38:46+00:00.
Original Title: Zidane’s tribute to Thierry Gilardi: "In 2006, when what happened in the final happened and he said: ‘Zinedine. Not that, Zinedine, not that, Zinedine. Oh no, not that, not today, not now, not after everything you’ve done.’” “He was spot on.”
“When he says: ‘Zinedine. Not this, Zinedine, not this. Oh no, not this, not today, not now, not after everything you’ve done’… He was spot on.”
— Zidane, regarding Thierry Gilardi’s commentary during his headbutt on Materazzi in the 2006 World Cup final.
“Then came Thierry Gilardi. To me, he was ‘Mr. Football.’ I loved his voice, too. And his intelligence—he knew how to convey emotions, how to translate them accurately. Even back then, his analysis was so relevant. He found the right words; with him, words had meaning.
(Visibly moved) It’s not easy to talk about… In 2006, when what happened happened in the final [the headbutt on Marco Materazzi] and he said: ‘Zinedine. Not this, Zinedine, not this. Oh no, not this, not today, not now, not after everything you’ve done’… he was just.
Anyone else could have slaughtered me; 99% of commentators would have destroyed me, but he was fair. He said what he felt sincerely. It gets to me every time I hear it. Thierry Gilardi touched me; he left a mark on me.”