Zidane: I don't feel proud about headbutting Materazzi

Zinedine Zidane confirmed that he is "not proud" of the headbutt he delivered to Italian player Marco Materazzi during the 2006 World Cup final, which was his last match as a player.

These comments come ahead of a rematch against Italy, but this time as the coach of the French national team on Friday, in the UEFA Nations League at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis.

The new coach of "Les Bleus" said during a press conference on Thursday: "I am not proud of what happened. I have mentioned this before and I repeat it today; but it is part of my career. People cannot always behave perfectly. I believe each of us has things we have done in our lives that were not perfect."

During the 2006 World Cup final in Germany, while France and Italy were tied 1-1 in extra time, Zidane got into an argument with Materazzi before losing his temper and headbutting him in the chest, resulting in a red card despite the referee not witnessing the incident directly.

Italy later won the tournament via penalties after David Trezeguet missed his chance.

When asked about that memory, "Zizou" smiled and said: "Images of that moment always haunt me because they are shown everywhere," adding: "Fortunately, my career was not limited to that; there are many more positive memories. Therefore, I prefer to focus on the good moments."

He also clarified that he "has never spoken" to the Italian defender since that incident.

He added: "I do not consider it regret, as it is part of my career. In 2006, I did not know I would become a coach. I thought my career was over. So, that period was very difficult."

Zidane is preparing for what he described as "a big emotional moment," as he returns to the Stade de France 20 years after his last match there as a player, which was a friendly in which France defeated Mexico 1-0 in 2006.

He said: "We are ready for this third match. We have prepared well, and we have no special problems. We will strive to win in front of our fans."

Zidane will play his first home match after two victories in the opening away games; the first against Turkey 1-0, and the second against Belgium by the same score.