Zidane in court over new 'whore' jibe

France's Zinedine Zidane during his heyday. File picture by REUTERS/Dylan Martinez

France's Zinedine Zidane during his heyday. File picture by REUTERS/Dylan Martinez

Published Jan 24, 2013

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Paris - Zinedine Zidane was back in court Thursday, aiming to land a legal headbutt on a French humourist who described him as an advertising whore.

The legendary former footballer failed in a first defamation case against Christophe Aleveque but is seeking to have that ruling overturned on appeal.

In a January 2011 edition of the magazine SportMag, Aleveque was quoted as saying of Zidane: “This guy is a advertising board with three braincells who cashes in on his image to an excessive degree.

“It is a form of prostitution. This guy is a whore.”

For good measure Aleveque added that the hero of France's 1998

World Cup win and the anti-hero of the 2006 final defeat by Italy was “as thick as a dick.”

Zidane, 40, told the appeal hearing the comments were “gratuitous and hurtful” to himself, his wife, children and parents.

“It is just not possible,” he told the court in a barely audible voice.

The former Juventus and Real Madrid star is famously sensitive to comments impugning the honour of his family. He was sent off in the 2006 World Cup final for headbutting Marco Materazzi after the Italian defender allegedly employed the term “whore” in a derogatory remark about Zidane's sister.

Zidane is seeking a symbolic euro in damages, having dropped his initial demand for 75 000 euros ($100 000) damages to be paid to a charity of his choice.

A judgement on the appeal will be delivered on March 7. - Sapa-AFP

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