French football officials urge Zinedine Zidane to have 'headbutt' statue removed

French football officials have contacted former France and Real Madrid star Zinedine Zidane regarding a statute built depicting the ex-professional's famous headbutt incident.

The 40-year-old has been immortalised in a statue, which shows the Frenchman headbutting Italian defender Marco Materazzi during the 2006 World Cup final.

In an open letter to Zidane, French officials said: "By choosing this provocative image, the artist has deliberately opted to ignore all your talents and all the positive emotions that you were able to share with the people of our country."

The statue has been built outside the Pompidou Arts Centre in Paris.