Materazzi lifts lid on Zidane clash

Marco Materazzi has finally revealed what he said to Zinedine Zidane to prompt the then France skipper to head-butt him during the World Cup final.

Zidane, who was playing his last game before retirement, has been reluctant to provide details about what the Italy centre-half had said, only confirming that the comments were of a personal nature and concerned his sister and mother.

Materazzi told Gazzetta dello Sport that Zidane, who was frustrated by the defender's shirt-pulling, offered to give the Internazionale man his jersey after match and he replied, saying: "I would prefer your sister."

Materazzi explained: "I answered verbally with a provocation to defend myself. Yes, I was tugging his shirt, but when he said to me scornfully 'If you want my shirt so much I'll give it to you afterwards,' is that not a provocation? I answered that I'd prefer his sister, it's true.

"It's not a particularly nice thing to say, I recognise that. But loads of players say worse things...I didn't even know he had a sister before all this happened."

Materazzi's revelation comes ahead of the rematch between the two sides on Wednesday in a Euro 2008 qualifier.