Soccer: Materazzi 'wished death on Zidane's family' [video clip]

Zinedine Zidane's agent says the France captain headbutted Marco Materazzi in yesterday's World Cup final because the Italian made a "very serious" comment, the BBC is reporting.

Zidane appeared to react to something that was said and was dismissed for his violent charge into his opponent.

An Italian lip-reader told the BBC that Materazzi said: "I wish an ugly death to you and all your family." Zidane is thought to have just received news that his mother is in ailing health.

According to the lip-reader, Materazzi then said: "Go f*** yourself."

A Brazilian television channel, Globo, quoted lip-readers as saying the Italian defender called Zidane's sister a "whore".

Agent Alain Migliaccio told BBC's Five Live Sport: "He told me Materazzi said something very serious to him but he wouldn't tell me what."

- NZHERALD STAFF