Qatar plans to re-install a sculpture immortalizing French-Algerian soccer player Zinedine Zidane’s head butt during the 2006 World Cup final, which had been removed in 2013 amid a domestic backlash, the head of Qatar Museums said on Monday.
The 5-meter bronze work called “Coup de tête” was removed days after its unveiling after people in the conservative Muslim country criticised it for promoting idolatry and others said it encouraged violence. The sculpture will be remounted at a new sports museum in Doha, which is hosting soccer’s World Cup later this year.
The sculpture by artist Adel Abdessemed depicts the moment during extra time in the 2006 World Cup final when Zidane head-butted Italy’s Marco Materazzi. Zidane was sent off and Italy went on to beat France on penalties. Al-Mayassa told reporters the aim of displaying the work was to promote conversations about “stress on athletes…and the importance of dealing with issues of mental health.”
