Voice 1
Hello, I’m Liz Waid.
Voice 2
And I’m Rebekah Schipper. Welcome to Spotlight. This programme uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
It was the ninth of July, 2006. The night was warm. The Olympic Stadium in Berlin was full. Everyone was excited. Sixty-nine thousand [69,000] football fans were there. They had been shouting and waving all night. But why? It was the Football World Cup Final. Italy were playing France. But the game was almost over. The teams were now playing in extra time. And the score remained one goal each. Suddenly, one of the Italian players fell to the ground. What had happened to him?
Voice 2
No one watching that game will forget that event. They will remember the Italian player, Marco Materazzi. He said something unkind to a French player. So the French player then hit Materazzi in the chest. But he did not hit him with his hand. He hit Materazzi with his head. And that was not the only surprise. The French player who did this was Zinedine Zidane. He was the world’s best footballer. People were very shocked. This seemed strange behaviour from Zidane. Zidane got a red card. He was sent off the field. He could not play the rest of the game. The French team struggled without Zidane. And finally, they lost.
Voice 1
Most people blamed Zidane for France’s defeat. If he had not hit Materazzi, he would have stayed on the field. France may have won. Instead, Zidane’s anger caused him to attack a player. After this event, many supporters lost respect for Zidane. He may have been the world’s best footballer once. But today, this is not what people remember most about him. They only seem to remember his bad behaviour.
Voice 2
But this is not true everywhere. In Bangladesh, people still think that Zidane is great. They think that he is a great footballer, and a great man. In November 2006 Zidane travelled to Bangladesh. He went to attend the opening of a factory there. This factory was a new business. Two different companies started this business together. One of them was Danone, a French food company. Its general aim is to “bring health through food to the majority of people.” The other company was the Grameen Bank. This bank operates a small loan system. It has helped many poor people in Bangladesh to escape from their poverty. Together, the two companies formed a new business - the Grameen Danone Foods Company. This new company has the aim of producing healthy food products. They want to help poorer people with bad diets. So, they decided to open a yoghurt making factory in Northern Bangladesh.
Voice 1
But why make yoghurt? Well, yoghurt is a very popular food in Bangladesh. People like this thick, milky liquid. And it is not costly to produce. So people only need a little money to buy it. The Grameen Danone Foods Company plans to add extra vitamins to the yoghurt. These healthy substances aid bodily growth. And they help fight diseases. This is important as many people in Bangladesh are very poor. They cannot buy the healthy foods that their bodies need. Emmanuel Faber is vice-president of Danone in Asia. He says:
Voice 4
“The yoghurt will be a healthy food that people can buy every day if they want.”
Voice 2
This project is also creating employment in the area. Local farmers will provide the milk to make the yoghurt. And the yoghurt will have cane sugar added. This, too, will come from local producers. People from the village can work in the factory. They can also help to sell the yoghurt. It is a truly local business. And the company does not plan to keep any of the profits. Instead, it plans to use the money to open fifty [50] more yoghurt factories across Bangladesh.
Voice 1
The French food company, Danone, is one of Zinedine Zidane’s sponsors. They pay him money to present their products to the public. That is why they invited Zidane to attend the opening of the new factory in Bangladesh. Mohammed Yunus is the head of the Grameen Bank. He also invited Zidane to be there. He knew of the footballer’s desire to support projects that fight poverty.
Voice 2
So Zinedine Zidane took part in the official opening ceremony of the yoghurt factory. Then, he demonstrated some of his footballing skills to the crowd. They were very pleased. And so was Zidane. He said:
Voice 3
“I was completely surprised. I never thought people living thousands of miles away in small villages in Bangladesh would know who I am.”
Voice 2
But why would such a famous footballer support such a project? Is there more to Zidane than football? He says there is:
Voice 3
“I know what poverty is. I, too, have lived in difficult places. My family did not have everything. And today I want to help. There are things in this world that are more important than football.”
Voice 1
Zidane knows what he is talking about. He grew up in the city of Marseille, in southern France. He was the youngest of five [5] children. His parents came from a small village in Algeria, North Africa. They lived there during the nineteen fifties. At that time, Algeria had many political and economic problems. Many families moved to France for a better way of life. Zidane’s family was one of them.
Voice 2
They moved to la Castellane, in north Marseille. The French authorities housed many north African families here. They lived in huge blocks of flats. These apartments were very crowded. It was especially difficult for parents with young children. Everyone considered la Castellane to be a difficult place to live. But Zidane says,
Voice 3
“I am proud of where I come from. I was lucky to come from a difficult area. It teaches you not just about football but also life. There were lots of children from different races and poor families. People had to struggle to get through the day. I never forget the people I grew up with. Wherever I go, la Castellane is where I want to go back to. It is still my home.”
Voice 1
So, football is not all that Zinedine Zidane cares about. He values his friends and family. He is proud of his roots. He is concerned about the poor of this world. So now may be the time to forget about Zidane’s behaviour at the World Cup. Let us remember instead what he has been through - and his commitment to help people wherever he can.
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