Materazzi wins Zidane slur damages

ITALY defender Marco Materazzi has won damages from the Daily Mail over claims he racially abused Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 World Cup final.

The amount was not disclosed, but the paper accepted it was wrong to report Materazzi had called Zidane “the son of a terrorist whore”. French star Zidane was sent off after head-butting the Italian’s chest.

Jonathan Price, lawyer for the Daily Mail’s owners, said the paper offered its apologies for the distress caused.

Materazzi, who plays for Inter Milan, was not at London’s High Court for the settlement of his libel case against Associated Newspapers.

His counsel, Jane Phillips, told Mr Justice Eady that, in July 2006, in its coverage of the World Cup Final, the newspaper published a series of items accompanied by photos, including one of Materazzi being head-butted by Zidane, captioned: “Revealed: the insult that made Zidane see red.”

She added that the articles stated quite wrongly that Materazzi, who scored one of the crucial penalties which secured an Italian victory, had used vile racist abuse during the match.

Ms Phillips said the newspaper accepted all of the allegations were wholly untrue and that there was no question of Materazzi having said anything of a racist nature to Zidane such as to goad him.

Mr Price, for Associated Newspapers, said it offered its apologies for the distress and embarrassment caused, and agreed to pay Materazzi substantial — but undisclosed — damages and his costs.