Bemused is the best word to describe the media’s reaction to yesterday’s World Cup final. Zidane is in the headlines again, but for all the wrong reasons this time. And oh yeah, Italy won the World Cup. But everywhere that seems to be an afterthought as pundits across the globe search for reasons why Zidane retaliated in such a humiliating and unnecessary fashion in the most important game of his illustrious career. And we may never know what Marco Materazzi said or did to provoke the great one. The Guardian reminds us that “Zidane is a reluctant talker at the best of times,” so he may never say anything about the incident. In fact, it wouldn’t be surprising for Zidane to fade off into a self-imposed exile after yesterday’s disappointment. What if, the paper asks, at the end of the first period of extra time, that powerful header from Willy Sagnol’s perfect cross sailed past Buffon and into the net? Were Buffon a lesser keeper it certainly would have, and then there’d be a very different coda next to the name of one of soccer’s all-time greatest players. As the Guardian says, “the final act of his career ensured that, after a generally enjoyable tournament, this World Cup final will be remembered with a wince. Outside Italy, of course.”