Thursday, October 11, 2012

Coup de boule !


In France, like in many latin countries, football (soccer for Americans) is very important. We're not too good these days, but we still remember the world final of 1998 when we became champions thanks to the talent of Zinedine Zidane is a very gifted French soccer/football player from Marseille. Gifted, but also agressive... In 2006, during another final, he headbutt an Italian player called Materazzi and  triggered one of the most commented sport events of the decade (I know it's silly!). This has remained in everybody's memory so bad that since the end of September 2012, there is even a monument to commemorate this infamous episode in front of the Beaubourg Center; it's called Le coup de tête (headbutt) and it was made by Adel Abdessemed and Algerian conceptual artist who lives and works in Paris;

14 comments:

  1. The things I learn here, Eric! And now I'll know how to say 'headbutt' in French should I ever need it.

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  2. I work for a parenting magazine, and our current advice is that kids shouldn't be "heading" the ball before they're 12 years old—way too dangerous. On the other hand, I love this statue of Zinedine Zidane doing what he did so well. (BTW, I was in the Internetless Galapagos, then the Andes, last week—and I missed you, Eric!)

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  3. So the cultural zeitgeist in France leads to headbutt sculptures, and here in the USA to cat video film festivals. The world is a wonderful, entertaining place.

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  4. @Shell "And now I'll know how to say 'headbutt' in French" ;-) Not the most useful expression though LOL

    @Alexa in The Galapagos?! Wow that is way cool (well probably hot actually!). How was it. I'm on my way to Deauville for the day, much less exotic ;-)

    @Mrs Vandertramp "and here in the USA to cat video film festivals." LOL!

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  5. not on ly in latin countries eric !

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  6. Thank you for the information. I like the angle and contrast of your picture with the red stripe which highlights the black sculpture.
    The sports world has gone mad. We learn a little more each day and always in the same direction: the fall. Shame...
    If this famous and desolate headbutt has his statue, perhaps did it not totally have been given for nothing? As an example of the limits not to cross ... Hmm ... Hmm... Hopefully.

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  7. @Anonymous "not only in latin countries eric !". True! Actually I was thinking of the US where soccer is not very popular, but in the rest of the world (except Asia maybe) it is!
    Besides is France a real Latin country?!

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  8. Oh, to be immortalized doing something stupid. Not the kind of monument I'd want to have of me.

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  9. Eric

    Remember the Japanese women won the World cup 2 yrs ago and the Chinese women are trying to be amongst the qualifiers for the next game.

    In the US , soccer is on everyone's mind ( meaning the media make a fuss about it) only when either the men's team is in a world event and when the women's team is in the semi or the final

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  10. Fascinating sculpture (and a really good photo of it). I am amazed that the entire piece balances on Zidane's two feet. It looks like that, anyway. I was at the Alliance Francaise building in Minneapolis watching the match on a big television. Everyone was stunned by the coup de tete.

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  11. @Cn " I like the angle and contrast of your picture with the red stripe which highlights the black sculpture. " Merci !

    @The Beaver "Remember the Japanese women won the World cup 2 yrs ago and the Chinese women are trying to be amongst the qualifiers for the next game." Er... no I don't! But I'm not a big soccer fan!

    @Jeff "Everyone was stunned by the coup de tete." Yes, it was really unbelievable.

    I noticed that the statue looks like it's off the ground as if I had added after! But I did not, it's really in front of Beaubourg!

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  12. Ah yes, I remember the infamous head butt! Funny that there is a statue to commemorate it!

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  13. Beautiful photograph, such views always enrapture me. I am greeting

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