Regardless of the final outcome, France's Zinedine Zidane was ten minutes away from joining the pantheon of soccer gods alongside the likes of Pele and Beckenbauer. Instead, with the world watching in horror, in a split second of insanity, the god showed that he had feet or more appropriately, head of clay. Such a catastrophic fall, from a hero to a villain is reminiscent of Satan's fall from heaven to hell!

Zidane deserved to be sent off for head-butting Italian defender Materazzi in the sternum. As the religious saying goes, to whom much is given (talent in this case), much is expected (patience in this case). As a role model for children all over the world, Zidane should have known better. Although after the final French President Jacques Chirac called Zidane "a genius of world football," the former French Sports Minister Marie-George Buffet was more to the point: "This morning, Zidane, what do we tell our children, and all those for whom you were the living role model for all times?"

Zinedine Yazid Zidane, the son of Muslim Algerian immigrants, is known for his discretion and shyness in France as well as brilliance in football. His two goals in the final of 1998 World Cup against Brazil struck a blow for multi-culturalism and became a rebuke against anti-immigrant sentiment in France.

Zidane grew up playing on concrete in an impoverished immigrant neighbourhood of Marseille, where fouls and insults are met with instant retribution. "You can take the man out of the rough neighbourhood but you can't take the rough neighbourhood out of the man," said striker Thierry Henry. Even on the world stage, with the whole planet watching, for a moment Zidane lost his composure and acted like a thug on the mean streets of Marseille.

Zinedine Zidane has paid a hefty price for his indiscretion with the possible loss of the world cup final, prestige, and future endorsements. What about the other thug, Marco Materazzi, the instigator? He has paid no price whatsoever. Seconds before the incident, Materazzi grabbed Zidane's jersey as the French attacked (the referee did not call a foul.) The two exchanged words as they walked back. The Paris-based anti-racism group SOS-Racism issued a statement on Monday quoting "several very well informed sources from the world of football" as saying that Materazzi called Zidane a "dirty terrorist."

Materazzi denied saying that, although he was very careful not to say what he did say that provoked Zidane. According to Zidane's agent, Zidane told him that Materazzi "said something very serious to him, but he would not tell me what." (An Italian lip-reader has claimed that Marco Materazzi provoked Zinedine Zidane by saying, "I wish an ugly death to you and all your family.")

Let us get this straight. Materazzi was not heaping praise on Zidane or telling him, "Zizou, can I kiss your whiskers?" He was constantly insulting and provoking Zidane. It was not that Zidane wanted to practice heading on Materazzi's chest. After 110 minutes of insult, he had had it and acted like any ordinary man would. For those who think words cannot hurt, think about this: How many times have you been hurt by someone physically? And now think how many times someone's words hurt you. Not even close, is it?

If someone were to insult you ethnically, religiously or racially, you would forget that you are a doctorate and attack the offender physically like an animal! It is bad enough to be an immigrant of Arab heritage in Europe. An Arab European would have to be more tolerant than a saint not to react to constant taunts of "dirty terrorist" or "I wish an ugly death to you and all your family!"

Yet, Materazzi faced no consequences and celebrates the world cup! The way Materazzi reacted to Zidane's head butt, one would have thought that his ribs were busted. Yet, he got up immediately after Zidane was ejected and calmly rammed in Italy's second penalty kick. Everyone also seems to have forgotten about the inconsistent and sometimes atrocious and illegal referring by the match referee, Horacio Elizondo of Argentina.

Neither the referee, nor the two linesmen had seen Zidane's head butt. Commentators were quick to point out that since football does not allow the use of instant replay to adjudicate disputed plays, Zidane cannot be punished for something neither the referee nor the linesmen had seen live.

Yet, the referee watched the replay on the huge screen in the stadium and threw Zidane out. This is illegal, as the commentators pointed out! Since the referee or the linesmen did not see the infraction, the worst punishment should have been a yellow card for Zidane. If Zidane was to be ejected, Materazzi should have received at least a yellow card for instigating the incident or should have been disqualified from taking the penalty. For a 50-50 infraction, Zidane, the retaliator, received 100% punishment, and Materazzi, the instigator, received 0%. This is not fair.

Anyone reviewing the tapes would notice that the referee Horacio Elizondo was determined to call as few fouls committed against Zidane as possible. Zidane frequently complained to the referee to no avail. Even when he was brutalised by the Italians and injured his shoulder and was in danger of not returning to the field, the referee did not call a foul. This led to Zidane's frustration and eventual explosion. The referee has to be consistent. If the 7th minute infraction by Materazzi was a penalty for France, there was a more clear-cut penalty in the second half that the referee denied the French. Sure, he had given France a penalty before; but it did not mean he had the discretion not to give France a penalty they had earned!

Horacio Elizondo is not the first referee to have an impact on the result of a World Cup final. His Latin predecessor, Mexico's Edgardo Codesal, the referee in the 1990 World Cup final in Rome, was even worse. In those days yellow cards were not wiped clean after group plays. Consequently, Argentina had 4 or 5 of their starters ineligible for the final. Within minutes of the start, Codesal red-carded Argentine player Gustavo Dezotti on a questionable call. Later, he sent off another Argentine, Pedro Monzon, on another questionable call. Even with nine men, somehow Maradona and his valiant warriors managed to keep the match scoreless for 84 minutes. Six minutes from the end, Codesal gave West Germany a penalty which clearly was not a penalty! Germany scored and won 1-0.

Only much later I learned that the Mexican fans hate Argentina for its football success and that in the final of the 1986 World Cup in Mexico City, Mexican fans wildly cheered for West Germany against their Latin brothers Argentina. One would have thought that referees would be above such partisan considerations; with Mr. Codesal, this may not have been the case.

Referees must be men of steel, uninfluenced by partisan crowds, players' acting, ethnicities and race. A good referee cannot be a feeble man. Someone brought up the disturbing thought that perhaps Horacio Elizondo was so quick to punish Zidane and France because eight of the 11 French starters are black or Arab. The best referee in the world should referee the final. I don't think Edgardo Codesal (1990) and Horacio Elizondo (2006) were the best referees available. When Europeans are in the final, as in 1990 and 2006, FIFA should still go for the best referees, not exclusively Latin referees. I have no doubt that a referee from Italy or France would have been fairer to both the teams than Signor Horacio Elizondo was to the French.

This writer is a supporter of Brazil. However, Italy is his favourite European country. This writer cheered Italy against Germany, and picked Italy to win the final. However, Materazzi's behaviour left a bad taste in the writer's mouth. I have many Italian and Italian American friends; they condemn behaviour such as Materazzis. I hope Materazzi apologises for taunting Zidane. If he does not, I hope Italy will punish him. If Italy does not, I shall lose some respect for my favourite European country and think that they won the 2006 World Cup with foul words!

I have little faith in FIFA to do anything sensible. FIFA's policy is to punish the retaliator, not the instigator. That policy ought to change. Foul words hurt much as a foul tackle, if not more. To avoid repeats of the Materazzi-Zidane scandal, FIFA can make it compulsory for the players to wear a button-size listening device that would record every utterance of players and can be heard live, so that the services of lip-readers are not necessary. FIFA should make it a foul to use foul language and to taunt opponents during football competitions. Appropriately, the listening-recording device should be labeled, "Materazzi Button!"

Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed is a columnist of The Daily Star.