"Something must have been said to Zidane. He is actually a reserved and inoffensive person," Beckenbauer said.

The man who won the World Cup as a player and coach said Zidane's dismissal had cost France dear.

"He weakened his team. We know how sensitive the French are when they lose their captain."

Former France coach Michel Hidalgo defended Zidane after he was sent off the for the 12th time in his career.

"When you know him, you know that they must have been very cruel words for him to react like that," Hidalgo said.

France's 1998 World Cup winning coach Aime Jacquet said he was doubly disappointed at the outcome.

"Firstly I think that France played an excellent all round match.

"I thought that during the second-half and the extra-time that we were going to score because France was a lot more in evidence than the Italians physically and technically.

"However the Italians did what they know best and retreated and broke up the game."

Jacquet said he was mortified when Zidane -- who was sent-off under Jacquet's watch in the first round of the 1998 World Cup for stamping on a Saudi player -- got his marching orders from Argentine referee Horacio Elizondo.

"The sending-off of Zizou was awful," said Jacquet, who retired from the coaching post after the 1998 World Cup final win over Brazil.

"How does one explain this rush of blood to the head. Very simply. They were at the end of their physical and psychological limits, the French and perhaps the Italians.

"Then there was a provocation and maybe words that were uttered.

"And Zizou is prone to reacting and unfortunately he could not control himself.

"It is terrible to see him leave like that because I truly believe he lifted this World Cup."