The world asks Zidane, why?

Berlin: Thierry Henry said match officials should use video evidence for everyone, not just selected incidents, after his captain Zinedine Zidane was dismissed in France's World Cup final defeat by Italy on Sunday.

Henry, who finished on the losing side in a major international final for the second time in eight weeks, shrugged aside his personal disappointment and praised the French team. Italy won the World Cup for a fourth time with a 5-3 triumph on penalties following a 1-1 draw that will be remembered chiefly for Zidane's red card.

"It's football, isn't it?" he said. "When a game goes to penalties you have to accept it. It's the way things are sometimes. But it is not good when things are decided that way.

"I don't know what happened, not exactly, but I don't think it is right to use video evidence that way (in Zidane's red card). If they want to use it for one thing, they should use it for everything and that includes Materazzi."

Italian defender Marco Materazzi appeared to talk to Zidane after the two had tangled 10 minutes from the end of extra time and the French midfielder retaliated by turning, running back several metres and butting him hard in the chest.

"I was on the bench and, to be honest, I didn't really see what happened and I am sure the linesman didn't see it either. When I realised something was going on, I turned and I thought I saw a lot of cards - then I saw him with the red.”

"I don't know what did it, but something definitely happened." Henry said that he could not talk about what was said in the France dressing room after the game.

"I can't go into that. We didn't really talk in detail," he said. Henry played in Arsenal's losing side in the European Cup final in Paris on May 17, when they were beaten by Barcelona, and was on the field for 107 minutes of the two hours of Sunday's rugged World Cup final.

"I am lucky to have touched the World Cup before when we won it in 1998, so that is something," said Henry.

"And we have to remember that it was only a few weeks ago, at the start of this tournament that nobody gave us a chance to reach the final.

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"So to get to the final is an achievement. We can be pleased. We have done something to be proud of but obviously this was not how we wanted it to end tonight. "Personally, I am feeling in between - I feel very disappointed but also proud of how we played to reach the final. We have to go on from here."

Speculation and rumours

So what was it that made Zidane lose his head? Here are some speculation doing the rounds in various media:

The Independent: Though neither Lippi, Domenech nor any player would comment on what was said between the pair in the closing stages of extra time, with whispers ranging from racist abuse to allegations that Materazzi had accused Zidane of being involved in the steroid abuse scandal that tainted his former club Juventus, both managers were united in their view that the Argentinian referee only showed the red card after his assistants had studied the incident on a television monitor by the side of the pitch. It is claimed they then contravened Fifa regulations by informing Elizondo of a head-butt that went unseen at the time.

The Irish Times: Some words were exchanged. Zidane trotted ahead of Materazzi, eyed him up and stepped forward, delivering an astonishing headbutt into the Italian's chest.The implication immediately was that there had been racist words exchanged. A French Algerian, Zidane is descended from the nomadic Kabyle tribe of north Africa and has fronted anti-racism campaigns in his native France.The stadium was a cacophony of whistles and jeers as an Italian team who had been thoroughly outplayed went on to record their first success in a World Cup penalty shoot-out. That the game went such a distance is surprising. That it should have ended in such drama, violence and acrimony is shocking. For Zidane, aepic career ends on the lowest possible note while a fine tournament ends in controversy and a victory for Italian defiance.

The Age: This morning speculation mounted as to what provoked the French captain's outrage. Website FoxSports.com reports that his team-members claim Materazzi used a racial slur.