Materazzi falls over too easily: Domenech
PARIS: France coach Raymond Domenech on Monday stuck the boot in on stricken Italy international Marco Materazzi after the centre-back was the victim of another headbutt.
Materazzi, who was famously felled by a Zinedine Zidane headbutt in last year's World Cup final, was butted again on Sunday by Sampdoria's Gennaro Delvecchio.
But Domenech told L'Equipe TV that Materazzi "has a habit of falling over easily" before adding mischievously, "he must have a weakness somewhere,"
The Inter Milan player, who scored Italy's goal in the World Cup final that saw them win eventually in a penalty shootout, claimed afterwards that he did not provoke Delvecchio in Sunday's fractious Serie A match.
Inter maintained their 11-point lead at the top of the table and extended their record run of consecutive league wins to 14 matches with a 2-0 victory in Genoa.
But the game swung heavily in Inter's favour in the seventh minute when Delvecchio was sent off for headbutting Materazzi squarely on the chin.
Materazzi, who reacted angrily when Delvecchio caught Inter keeper Julio Cesar with a late challenge, insisted he did nothing wrong.
"My reaction was instinctive and all I wanted to do was protect my keeper," said the 33-year-old who lay on the ground as Delvecchio was sent off.
"I went over to say to him 'What do you think you're doing'?. He then pushed me and I didn't go down. Then he headbutted me and I fell to the ground. He hurt my lip.
"I admit it when I make a mistake, but on this occasion I didn't do anything wrong."
AFP
(China Daily 01/31/2007 page24)
