Zidane

The scoop:

Lip reader Jessica Rees, Materazzi really inflamed Zidane by calling him “the son of a terrorist whore”

He is still beloved by football fans, winning the Golden Ball award for the tournament's best player.

And France:
"You are a virtuoso, a genius of world football. You are also a man of the heart, of commitment, of conviction, and that's why France admires and loves you," Chirac told Zidane, calling him "an exceptional captain."

Now lets make fun of it and start to heal:
http://www.wallak.net/zidan/

BTW - I find the last shot of Zidane walking past the cup off the field very difficult to watch.