FIFA president Sepp Blatter said French Zinedine Zidane could be stripped
of his Golden Ball award for the best player at the World Cup, local reports
said yesterday.
"The winner of the award is not decided by FIFA, but by an international
commission of journalists," La Repubblica quoted Blatter as saying.
"That said, FIFA's executive committee has the right, and the duty, to
intervene when faced with behavior contrary to the ethic of the sport," Blatter
added.
Zidane head-butted Italy defender Marco Materazzi in the chest after the two
exchanged words on the field in extra time of Sunday's World Cup final. He was
sent off and Italy won its fourth title on penalties.
FIFA's disciplinary committee opened an inquiry Tuesday into Zidane's
behavior, but declined to say whether Materazzi's conduct is also being
investigated.
Blatter said that "to see him act like that made me feel bad, for him and for
fair play."
Zidane, who won the World Cup in 1998, said he would retire after the
tournament.
