Italy defender Marco Materazzi insisted that French soccer star Zinedine Zidane deserved to be named best player at the World Cup despite his actions in Sunday's final.
Former national team midfielder Roberto Donadoni was selected as Italy's new soccer coach, replacing Marcello Lippi, who resigned shortly after guiding the Azzurri to a fourth World Cup title.
The Zinedine Zidane mystery is not quite solved yet. In his first, highly awaited comments since the World Cup final, the French soccer star only partly explained what caused him to react in fury and head-butt an Italian opponent: repeated harsh insults about his mother and sister
Juergen Klinsmann, who coached Germany to a third-place finish at the World Cup last week, is stepping down, the co-president of the German soccer federation said early Wednesday.
An apology, but no regrets and no detailed explanation on what set him off. That's where French soccer star Zinedine Zidane left things Wednesday during widely broadcast television interviews.
Italy coach Marcello Lippi resigned Wednesday, three days after guiding the Azzurri to their fourth World Cup title.
Marco Materazzi admits he insulted Zinedine Zidane before the France captain head-butted him in the World Cup final. Materazzi denies calling him a "terrorist."
Italy's triumphant World Cup squad returned Monday to delirious crowds of more than a half-million fans, but joy might be short-lived: many of the players could find themselves consigned to the unglamorous lower divisions of the domestic soccer league when verdicts in a match-fixing trial are announced.
After 64 games packed with goals and non-stop action, Germany's Miroslav Klose carried off the adidas Golden Shoe award as the top scorer at the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany.
Italy let France do nearly anything it wanted Sunday, except win the World Cup. That belongs to the Azzurri, 5-3 in a shootout after a 1-1 draw.
France captain Zinedine Zidane, sent off for headbutting Marco Materazzi late in Sunday's World Cup final loss to Italy, won the Golden Ball award for the tournament's best player.
Italy defender Marco Materazzi on Monday denied a report that he had called Zinedine Zidane a "dirty terrorist" seconds before the French captain head-butted him in Sunday's World Cup final.
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