Back to the House: Becoming a Man in the First Palestinian Intifada.’ Vibrant – Virtual Brazilian Anthropology 5 (2): 41-72. Brasília/Brazil

Introduction. Everything seemed ready for the spectacle. Even the notoriously unpredictable Berlin weather decided to contribute and framed the recently and lavishly refurbished stadium with only occasional pinkish clouds. The match was already well into extra time and it appeared highly probable that, after all, the World Cup 2006 would be decided by penalties. And then it all happened: presumably reacting to a “Yo-Mama” kind of provocation by the annoying Italian player Materazzi, the French Zidane first walked away, reflected and – the hell with the laurels – decided a proper reaction was mandatory: he came back and butted his head directly against Materazzi’s chest, the geste that would cost him the red card and his definitive departure from the tournament. Three days after the incident, the following was all Zidane provided by way of explanation to an avid multitude of journalists:
— I am a man.