France unleashes a decade of Italian anger since Zidane headbutt

Rome

THE 2006 World Cup final should have been a triumph for Italians, but all people remember now is the iconic French soccer captain Zinedine Zidane headbutting an opponent in the last few minutes.

The controversy overshadowed much of the glory for the winning team that night and the subsequent carping of French fans convinced many Italians that their bigger, richer neighbour will never give them the respect they deserve, whether the field is sports, business or politics.

That resentment burst into the open on Wednesday when Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said France…