As reported by L’Équipe, a five-metre high bronze statue depicting Zinedine Zidane’s infamous 2006 World Cup final headbutt on Italian centre-back Marco Materazzi will be put on display in Qatar.
The artwork by Algerian sculptor Adel Abdessemed was previously displayed on Doha’s waterfront in 2013 but was criticised by many for glorifying violence and was quickly removed.
However, the director of Qatari Museums Sheikha Al-Mayassa Al-Thani, sister of the Emir of Qatar, announced the statue would return as part of Doha’s new sports museum. She explained:
“Evolution happens in societies. It takes time and people may criticize something to begin with, but then understand it and get used to it… Zidane is a great friend of Qatar and he’s a great role model for the Arab world. Art, like anything else, is a matter of taste. Our goal is to empower people.”
