Zizou is France's favorite celebrity, says a poll

Despite that famous World Cup head-butt, retired soccer star Zinedine Zidane is France's favorite celebrity, a poll said.

Despite that famous World Cup head-butt, or perhaps because of it, retired soccer star Zinedine Zidane is France's favorite celebrity, a poll said.

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Zidane, who needed his 18-year career with an attack n Italian playr Marco Materazzi, came out No. 1 in an Ifop poll published in the weekend newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche.

Tennis player and singer Yannick Noah dropped one place to second.

Fabien Barthez and Franck Ribery, who played alongside Zidane in the World Cup final, were No. 14 and No. 15 on the list.

The poll appeared to solidify Zidane's status as a national hero with some people saying his reaction to Materazzi's taunting made him seem more human.

Zidane was sent off in the final minutes of France's World Cup final last month against Italy. France lost the match 5-3 in a penalty shootout.

The poll of 987 people was conducted in face-to-face interviews between July 10 and 18 by the Ifop agency.