Soccer: Materazzi fined for Zidane cup slur

FIFA last night defended its decision to ban Italy defender Marco Materazzi for insulting Zinedine Zidane in the World Cup final. Materazzi was handed a two-match suspension and a €3100 ($6402) fine by a disciplinary committee of world football's governing body.

The punishment provoked widespread outrage in Italy and newspaper La Stampa described it as a "scandalous sentence".

Leading sports daily Gazzetta dello Sport's headline read "Zidane-Materazzi 3-2, Italy is angry" and said it was "too low a punishment for Zizou".

FIFA remains adamant that the verdict was in line with its current rules and said Article 54 of its disciplinary rulebook states: "Anyone who insults someone in any way, especially by using offensive gestures or language, will be sanctioned with a match suspension.

"If the perpetrator is a player, he will be suspended from at least two matches; if he is an official, he will be suspended from at least four matches."

Materazzi had admitted abusing Zidane during extra-time in the final in an incident which caused the France captain's dismissal after he reacted by headbutting the Inter Milan star.

Zidane, who was given a three-match ban and fined €4700 by FIFA, later claimed in a television interview that Materazzi had insulted his mother and sister, while lip-readers employed by several newspapers said the Italian had called his rival a "terrorist".

FIFA's head of media Andreas Herren said: "We will continue to consider each case on an individual basis. If we decide to investigate it, the disciplinary committee will give each party the chance to state their case to give a fair picture of the events, the same as we do now."

French Football Federation president Jean-Pierre Escalettes said he would apply FIFA's ruling to any future incidents that echo the Zidane-Materazzi clash in his domestic leagues.

Escalettes told the French federation's website: "The first remark to make is that the instigator has been punished with a two-match suspension for the national team. Materazzi will not appeal against the sanction. In punishing the instigator, FIFA has set an example even if Zinedine Zidane is guilty.

"The second remark is that this verdict is in the same sense as the FFF philosophy and can be used as a basis for work for disciplinary committees whether at national or district level."