Headbutt (sculpture)

{{Infobox sculpture

| title = Headbutt

| image =

| image_size =

| caption =

| artist = Adel Abdessemed

| year = 2012

| type = Bronze

| height_metric = 500

}}

Headbutt ({{langx|fr|Coup de tête}}) is a sculpture by French-Algerian artist Adel Abdessemed. It is 5 m (16.4 ft) tall and made from bronze. It was unveiled on 26 September 2012 at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, France.{{cite news|title=Zinedine Zidane headbutt statue unveiled in Paris|url=http://www.france24.com/en/20120926-france-art-football-world-cup-2006-zidane-headbutt-statue-paris-pompidou-centre/|newspaper=France 24|date=26 September 2012|access-date=5 January 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140105223252/http://www.france24.com/en/20120926-france-art-football-world-cup-2006-zidane-headbutt-statue-paris-pompidou-centre/|archive-date=5 January 2014|url-status=dead}}

Background

The sculpture depicts an incident that took place in the 110th minute of the 2006 FIFA World Cup Final between France and Italy,{{cite news|title=Sculpture of Zidane headbutt 'ode to defeat'|url=http://www.sowetanlive.co.za/sport/2012/09/28/sculpture-of-zidane-headbutt-ode-to-defeat|newspaper=Sowetan Live|date=28 September 2012}} when Zinedine Zidane headbutted Italian defender Marco Materazzi in the chest after Materazzi had verbally provoked him.{{cite news|title=Materazzi reveals insult to Zidane|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2006/SPORT/football/09/05/italy.materazzi/|newspaper=CNN|date=5 September 2006}} Zidane consequently received a red card and was sent off. France lost the match, which was Zidane's final match as a professional footballer.

Exhibition

= Pompidou Centre =

As France subsequently lost the match, exhibition organiser Alain Michaud has described it as "...against the tradition of making statues in honour of certain victories. It is an ode to defeat".

= Qatar Museums Authority =

As part of Qatar Museums Authority public art program the sculpture was brought to Doha for an undisclosed amount on 4 October 2013, intended to be permanently installed on the Corniche near Al Mourjan restaurant.{{cite news|last=Scott|first=Victoria|title=QMA installs five-meter Zidane 'head-butt' statue on Corniche|url=http://dohanews.co/qma-installs-five-meter-zidane-head-butt-statue-on/|newspaper=Doha News|date=3 October 2013}}{{cite news|title=Qatar erects 5-meter-high 'Head Butt' statue of Zidane|url=http://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/news/sections/sports/2013/10/03/Qatar-erects-5-meter-high-Head-Butt-statue-Zidane_9400994.html|newspaper=ANSA News|date=3 October 2013|access-date=5 October 2013|archive-date=6 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131006205701/http://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/news/sections/sports/2013/10/03/Qatar-erects-5-meter-high-Head-Butt-statue-Zidane_9400994.html|url-status=dead}}

The sculpture was removed on 30 October, owing to criticism from Islamic conservatives who complained that glorifying the infamous act of violence set a bad example for local youth and bordered on idolatry. It was then moved into the Arab Museum of Modern Art in Doha.{{cite news|title=Qatar takes down statue of 'headbutting' soccer players after backlash|url=https://www.foxnews.com/world/qatar-takes-down-statue-of-headbutting-soccer-players-after-backlash/|newspaper=Fox News|date=1 November 2013}}

The statue has also been exhibited in Tuscany and Avignon.{{cite news|title=La statue du coup de boule de Zidane à Materazzi quitte Avignon|url=https://www.ledauphine.com/vaucluse/2018/11/27/football-soccer-coupe-du-monde-world-cup-la-sculpture-du-coup-de-tete-de-zidane-a-materazzi-quitte-avignon|newspaper=le dauphiné libéré|date=27 November 2018}}