Juventus Star Hit With 2nd Straight Red Card
TURIN, Italy (October 25, 2000 2:52 p.m. EDT http://www.sportserver.com) - A spikes-up spear at an opponent's thigh. A head butt
under the eye. A temper that suddenly spirals out of control.
One might expect these kinds of episodes from the thugs of the soccer world,
without the skills to gracefully steal the ball from an opponent.
But this is the latest report card for Zinedine Zidane, possibly the most
elegant player in the game today and the man who led France to the 1998 World
Cup title and 2000 European championship.
He was ejected for the second straight Champions League game as his Italian
club, Juventus, lost 3-1 to Germany's Hamburg on Tuesday night.
Zidane received a red card for slamming his forehead into the face of
defender Jochen Kientz in the 27th minute. It was a particularly ugly foul,
seemingly provoked by minor, post-whistle tangling on the ground.
Kientz was left with a cut and bruise under his left eye, and Zidane, the
1998 European and FIFA world player of the year, faces a potentially lengthy
suspension.
The Frenchman was ejected from Juventus' 0-0 tie against Spain's Deportivo
last month for lashing out at an opponent with his spikes. That episode was
reminiscent of Zidane's ejection, and subsequent two-game suspension, for
spiking a Saudi Arabian player during the World Cup.
"Dear Zidane, we could not believe our eyes watching that head butt to the
cheekbone of an opponent," wrote Candido Cannavo, editor of La Gazzetta dello
Sport newspaper. "How can you, the scholar of soccer, holder of the keys to
heaven, Juventus' beacon and World and European champion - how could you
humiliate yourself with that horrible deed?"
