Over in the Indian Super League, Kerala Blasters fans are reportedly gearing up to don thousands of Zinedine Zidane masks to goad the manager of their rival club, who just so happens to be Marco Materazzi.
Zidane and Materazzi famously clashed in the final of the 2006 World Cup, culminating in the former introducing his cranium to the latter’s breastbone with significant vim and vigour.
Anyway, images urging fans to wear the masks have been circulated on social media in India ahead of tonight’s big derby clash against Chennaiyin FC, who are currently coached by Materazzi.
According to the message, some 35,000 Zidane masks will be available to wear in the terraces of Kerala’s Kochi Stadium…
Photo: @SuryaPrakash7/Twitter
Written in Malayalam, the caption reads: “Friends, I will be at (the stadium) with these masks if you are ready to buy it”.
While there is no love lost between Kerala and Chennaiyin at the best of times, the masks are largely a result of Materazzi’s antics the last time the two sides met – antics which subsequently saw the Italian suspended for “misconduct against opponents or persons other than match officials”.
Once a git, always a git – or so it would seem.