LONDON - Midway through extra time in the soccer World Cup final Zinedine Zidane rose majestically to head the goal designed to claim the trophy for France.

Italy's Marco Materazzi falls on the pitch after being head-butted by France's Zinedine Zidane (R) during their World Cup 2006 final soccer match in Berlin in this July 9, 2006 file photo. Zidane's career has taken him from the backstreets of Marseille to the glamorous European club giants Juventus and Real Madrid and his abrupt fall from grace mirrored the light and shade of a troubled sporting year. [Reuters]

Instead the consistently excellent Italian keeper Gianluigi Buffon arched high to tip the ball one-handed over the bar and preserve the 1-1 scoreline.

What subsequently passed through Zidane's mind in the dying moments of a career that had taken him from the backstreets of Marseille to the glamorous European club giants Juventus and Real Madrid?

Confounding the pessimists, he had gradually recaptured the form which propelled France to their 1998 World Cup triumph. But after Buffon's save he must have known his final chance of glory on the game's ultimate stage had all but vanished.

Certainly something snapped 10 minutes before the final whistle at the Berlin Olympic stadium. After a brief altercation the French captain suddenly head-butted Marco Materazzi in the chest and was sent from the field. His demoralised team then succumbed 5-3 in the penalty shootout.

Zidane's abrupt fall from grace mirrored the light and shade of a troubled sporting year.

Italy's path to their fourth World Cup took place against the backdrop of a match-fixing scandal unfolding in the Italian courts.

When the Italian season opened two weeks late, Juventus had been relegated to Serie B for the first time in their history on minus 17 points -- a penalty later reduced to minus nine.

Fiorentina, Lazio and Reggina were permitted to stay in the top division with heavy points penalties while AC Milan were docked eight points but allowed to remain in the Champions League.

WINTER EXTRAVAGANZA

Turin staged the first of the year's two global events, the extravaganza on snow and ice constituting the Winter Olympics.

Austria, who won a record 14 Alpine skiing medals, dominated. Michaela Dorfmeister finally struck gold with victories in the women's downhill and super-G in her final Olympics. Benjamin Raich won the giant slalom and led an Austrian clean sweep in the slalom.

Norwegian Kjetil Andre Aamodt, who had overcome a broken ankle and ligament damage, became the first Alpine skier to win four Olympic golds with victory in the super-G at the age of 34. Half an hour later Croatian Janica Kostelic, who had endured nearly a dozen knee operations, matched Aamodt's feat with her fourth career gold in the combined.

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