Death of De Miguel revives the ghost of 2006: Materazzi says, "I thank God that Zidane's headbutt did not kill me"

Twenty years on from the moment that shook the world, former Italy star Marco Materazzi has returned to speak about it, but this time not out of pride or anger, rather out of gratitude and fear.

The death of Spanish striker Jesús de Miguel following a horrific collision on the pitch brought back to the memory of the former Italian defender the most dangerous moment of his career, when he received Zinedine Zidane's famous headbutt in the 2006 World Cup final, and made him say: thank God I was not harmed.

Materazzi spoke to the newspaper "La Gazzetta dello Sport", in an interview published on Thursday: "The death of Jesús de Miguel made me thank God that I was not harmed." Short words, but they carried all the weight of a tragedy that still shakes football.

De Miguel, the Tenerife striker, died after colliding with Andorra goalkeeper Jesús Owono during a Spanish second division match earlier this month. The collision at first seemed ordinary. Within hours it turned into a tragedy, and the player's death was announced the following day.

Materazzi confirmed that the headbutt, one of the most famous incidents in World Cup history, still troubles him twenty years on, even though he went on to win the World Cup with Italy afterwards. In the 2006 final, Zidane, the France captain at the time, was sent off for striking Materazzi in the chest with his head, before Italy won the title on penalties.

What happened to De Miguel, the former Inter Milan defender added, made him realise that his own ordeal in 2006 could have ended in a completely different way. The headbutt the whole world saw, regarded as a moment of anger from Zidane, could have turned into a human tragedy had the blow landed in a different place, or with a different force.

Zidane, now coach of the France national team, said last month that he was not proud of the headbutt, but that he did not regret it. The statement stirred wide controversy and reopened an old wound between the two stars.

There was more. Materazzi revealed a new side of his relationship with Zidane when he spoke about a meeting that brought them together before one of the matches in 2010.

The former Italy player said: "When he saw me, he hesitated a little, he even turned to go back the way he came, but I approached him and shook his hand saying: I am happy to meet here, where no one sees us, and he answered me: do not worry, these things happen, and it is all in the past".

Regret crept in, though, as Materazzi recalled that Zidane later denied the meeting had taken place as he described it, claiming he thought Materazzi was one of the fans. He said: "It is unfortunate that he later denied everything".

The timing could hardly be sharper. Zidane's France face Italy in the UEFA Nations League later on Thursday, a clash that will bring the 2006 final flooding back and remind supporters that football is not just victories and titles, but human moments that can change the lives of players forever.

Today, after the death of De Miguel, Materazzi looks at that headbutt with a different eye. It is no longer just a sporting memory. It has become a reminder that the lives of players are fragile, and that a single moment of anger on the pitch can turn into an irreparable catastrophe.