Ertugrul Ozkok: Why Turks side with Zidane

Whose side are Turks on in all of this? I have been reading the columnists' various opinions on the matter since Monday. The vast majority of them support Zidane through it all. Why? Is it because of the Turks famous "entrance into Anatolia" legend? You know, the legend which tells how the Turks saw two tribes fighting, and without stopping to see which one was right and which one was wrong, would immediately take the side of the tribe that was losing. You could almost call this "love of the underdog" part of our origin myth.

I wonder if this is why Zizou is so loved. He is, after all, a "child of the people." And he is not an intellectual. Because he doesn't talk so much, we don't know what he is thinking. Although there is one thing we do know: he is not all that innocent. Looking at his past football record, we note that the "anger" element is pretty heavy.
 
As far as his reaction to swearing goes, when you look at the swearing that occurd between football players, you could almost call it the "language that spices up the fields." I am not a sports pyschologist, but I would imagine that the level of swearing in any professional football match would be very high. 
 
So then, what was that headbutt all about, that action that came at the most critical moment in the match? Are we just going to pass it off, saying "He is a child of the people, whatever he does is right"? Are we going to stick by our "He's just a neighborhood guy" belief and let him off the hook?

My character won't allow me to do this. I have watched that scene over and over again now. His physical reaction was not on par with whatever verbal abuse he heard. It was much, much stronger. Zizou is a football player I love. My instinct tells me to take his side. But my life experience of 50 some years tells me otherwise.

I was at the Berlin stadium that evening. But like most at the stadium, I didn't witness the headbutt. I was alerted to what had happened by phone messages coming in from friends in Turkey, everyone asking "Why did Zidane do that headbutt?"

For those who know a bit about France, it was assumed that Zidane's retirement would mean that that other French legend, Platini, would relinquish his seat on the throne of sports history. But now they all wonder. Most likely, that "white French" Platini will not give over his place on Mount Olympos to that Arab child of the "other France," Zidane.

And all because of a momentary flash of anger......

I am writing this on Wednesday night, after Zidane made his statements to the press regarding the headbutting incident. I found his words very sincere. Very honest. But you know, that headbutt, I just can't forget it. Because in it I saw truly everything that is both brave and cowardly about us as Turks.