Qatar erects statue of Zinedine Zidane head-butting Marco Materazzi and plans for many more
WHAT can Qatar do make the place look in tip-top shape for the World Cup Finals? Air-conditioning the stadia would be a start. But before that fans of the beautiful game have erected a five-meter Zidane ‘head-butt’ statue on Qatar’s Corniche.
The 16-foot high monster depicts “two fighting footballers”. Called Coup de Tête, the Glasgow Kiss is the work of Algerian artist Adel Abdessemed. It captures the moment when Frenchman Zinedine Zidane head-butted Marco Materazzi in the 2006 World Cup Final. ZouZou was sent off. Italy won. And Materazzi is still laughing.
The statue used to be an eyesore by the Pompidou centre in Paris. Then Qatar bought it. Jean Paul Engelen, QMA’s director of Public Art, told Doha News:
“Yes, we expect a lot of people to want to take photos with it, and of it. It’s an impressive piece. It’s a huge sculpture, and it’s done in the same style as Greek Mythological statues, but this glorifies human defects instead. It shows that although we sometimes treat footballers like gods, they’re not – they’re just human beings.”
Other unedifying football statues to consider for Qatar:
1. “I Never Touched Him!” – captures the moment Gareth Bale tumbles into the penalty area. A system of pulleys and runners means that although Bale is fouled outside the penalty box he manages to fall inside it.
2. “Amnesia” – Captured in ‘memory’ foam of the type found in a Tempur mattress, this work captures the moment Manchester United’s Roy Keane delivered a career-defining injury to Manchester City’s Alf-Inge Alfie” Håland in revenge for something the victim is supposed to have said a long time before.
3. “Bread Knife” captures the essential terrace experience of the 1970s, featuring a pre-baguette “long roll” rendered in lead wrapped around a blade.
You can take a gander at some other terrible football statues here.
Posted: 3rd, October 2013 | In: Sports Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
