Lip readers employed by British newspapers claim France captain Zinedine Zidane was sent off in the World Cup final in retaliation for racist, vulgar comments by Italian defender Marco Materazzi.

Zidane headbutted Materazzi in the chest, behind play, in the second half of extra time when the match was tied 1-1. Italy went on to win on penalties.

The Times newspaper hired Jessica Rees, whose skill has seen her summoned as an expert witness at criminal trials, to study a tape of Sunday's match that saw Zidane get a red card for his seemingly spontaneous assault.

"After an exhaustive study of the match video, and with the help of an Italian translator, Rees claimed Materazzi called Zidane 'the son of a terrorist whore' before adding 'so just f*** off' for good measure," it said.

The Daily Mail, which wrongly described Marseille's native Zidane as "Algeria-born", said it had also engaged the services of a lip reader, whom it did not identify, who reached the exact same conclusion as Rees.

The Independent cited lip readers for Brazil's Globo television as concluding Materazzi had told Zidane his sister was a "prostitute".

Paris-based anti-racism group SOS Racisme says Materazzi apparently called Zidane a "dirty terrorist", citing "several very well informed sources from the world of football".

Theories have abounded as to what Materazzi might have said to provoke such a response and the former Everton defender concedes he did make an offensive remark.

Materazzi, 32, told Gazetta dello Sport: "I held his shirt for a few seconds only, then he turned to me and talked to me, jeering.

"He looked at me with a huge arrogance and said, `If you really want my shirt I'll give it to you afterwards'. I replied with an insult, that's true."

Materazzi has not elaborated on what he did say, but one report suggested he responded with: `I'd rather take the shirt off your wife'.

He has denied, however, some of the more vile insults referring to his wife or sister or calling him a terrorist.

"It was one of those insults you're told dozens of times and that you often let fall on a pitch," Materazzi said.

"I did not call him a terrorist. I am not a cultured person and I don't even know what an Islamist terrorist is."

He added: "For me the mother is sacred, you know that."

Zidane has not explained his actions publicly. French television said he would talk about the incident "in the coming days".

It was the 14th time that the Frenchman had been sent off in his career.

A poll published in the le Parisien newspaper showed the majority of French people had forgiven Zidane.

Of the 802 people polled, 61 per cent said they had forgiven Zidane for the act of fury which earned him a red card.

However 27 per cent said they did not forgive him.

Asked whether they understood Zidane's reaction to apparent provocation by Materazzi, 52 per cent of those polled said they did, while 32 per cent said they did not.

The poll was carried out by pollster CSA. The respondents were aged 15 and over.

Meanwhile, France has reportedly complained to Italy about a right-wing senator's racist comments that the defeated French team was made up of "blacks, Muslims and communists".

Roberto Calderoli of the Northern League lost a ministerial post in a centre-right government earlier this year for wearing a T-shirt with cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad offensive to Muslims.

As the victorious Azzurri returned to a heroes' welcome in Rome, Calderoli celebrated it as a "political victory" over a mixed-race French team.

Italy had "beat a team which, in the quest for results, sacrificed its own identity by selecting blacks, Muslims and communists", the senator said, in comments that were rejected by members of Italy's new centre-left coalition government.

Italian newspapers La Stampa and Corriere della Sera quoted a letter of protest from French ambassador Yves Aubin de La Messuziere to the Italian Senate, saying: "Such unacceptable and despicable comments can only foment hatred."

"France is proud of a team whose members are all its sons, whatever their origins or religion," he wrote, adding that some of the French players insulted by Calderoli played in Italian teams "where they are very popular".

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