Say it ain't so, Zizou.

A nation asks 'Why?' after Zidane's violent exit

For many French citizens, the hardest part of France's World Cup final loss to Italy wasn't the defeat itself but the moment when national hero Zinedine Zidane _ nicknamed Zizou _ ended his career with a brutal act of fury.

With France and Italy 1-1 in extra time Sunday, Zidane head-butted Italy defender Marco Materazzi in the chest and got a red card. France went on to lose the game on penalties. Sports Minister Jean-Francois Lamour said he didn't know what Materazzi said to Zidane, but "we can imagine that there was a provocation." He added that Zidane's act was "unpardonable." "It's a strange exit for someone who remains an exceptional champion," Lamour told LCI television.

French soccer federation president Jean-Pierre Escalettes said he shook Zidane's hand in the locker room afterward to thank him for his career. The two men didn't speak.

"He is unhappy," Escalettes told Le Parisien. "We have to leave him alone. I have nothing to ask him."

The surreal moment left the entire country wondering what made Zidane lose his cool in the final moments of his last-ever match for Les Bleus.

Former Sports Minister Marie-George Buffet said Zidane's act was unforgivable for its effect on children watching the game. "We can't excuse this gesture," she told RTL radio, adding that she wanted to know the full story.

The French sports daily L'Equipe wrote: "This morning, Zinedine, what do we tell our children, and all those for whom you were the living role model for all times?" Its front-page headline: "Eternal Regrets."

L'Equipe addressed it editorial directly to Zidane, comparing his best World Cup moments to boxer Muhammad Ali's heroics in the ring. "But neither Ali, nor Pele, nor (Jesse) Owens, nor any other great hero of their standing _ the standing that you were on the verge of joining _ ever broke the most elementary rules of sport like you did," the paper wrote.

"It was your last image as a soccer player, Zidane. How could that happen to a man like you?"

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