Controversial Zidane Statue To Be Back On Display in Qatar
After being taken down in less than four weeks in 2013.
Qatar is aiming to put a statue of Zinedine Zidane‘s notorious 2006 head-butt with Italian defender Marco Materazzi back on display for this year’s 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The “Coup de Tête” sculpture of the French-Algerian football player was removed just a few weeks after being on display in 2013 after receiving backlash from the public and being criticised for promoting violence.
“Evolution happens in societies,” Qatar Museums Chairperson Sheikha al-Mayassa al-Thani explained while announcing the return of Zidane’s statue and continued to acknowledge that its original public placement on the corniche was “not right” and will be better suited for the museum.
The the 16-foot bronze sculpture will be displayed at the 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum as a reflection of high level sports and the impact it has on mental health and stress. “With the Zinedine Zidane sculpture, we will be talking a lot about the stress on athletes under big tournaments and the importance of dealing with issues of mental health”, Al-Thani continued.
The sculpture by Algerian-French artist Adel Abdessemed is scheduled to be displayed at the museum in November of 2022.
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