[abdulw11]

Zinedine Zidane could be stripped of his World Cup Golden Ball award, FIFA chief Joseph Blatter has stated.

The Frenchman pipped Fabio Cannavaro and Andrea Pirlo to the honour, but there is the possibility that FIFA could act to reverse the decision made by a panel of journalists after his head-butt on Marco Materazzi in the World Cup Final.

“I’ve ordered our disciplinary section to open an investigation regarding the incident,” Blatter told the Repubblica newspaper. “We’ll await their findings before taking any action.

“The winner of that award is not decided by FIFA, but by an international commission of journalists.

“Saying that, FIFA’s executive committee has the power and the need to intervene when dealing with comportments which go against the ethics of sport.

“But we have to wait for the time being. Being innocent until being proved guilty is a sacred principle.”

Zidane shocked the footballing community with his gesture, one which Blatter has admitted was rather unexpected.

“It hurt me,” he continued. “I’ve known Zidane for many years. Seeing him react like that was bad, for himself and for fair play.

“He was so distraught after the game that when the French officials told him to go and collect his medal, he replied by stating that he didn’t deserve a medal.”

The Italian newspaper also used the interview to ask Blatter why he wasn’t part of the ceremony in which the Azzurri were handed the World Cup trophy.

“I was convinced that the honour should have gone to my Vice-President and UEFA President Lennart Johansson,” he explained.

“The decision had already been taken after the quarter-finals when it became clear that the title would have gone to a European nation. I thought it was the right thing to do.”

Meanwhile, Zidane is set to speak publicly for the first time after his controversial red card on French television this evening.

Source: http://www.channel4.com/sport/footba...ia/jul12d.html