What did the Italian central defender Marco Materazzi say to the French captain Zinédine Zidane which so enraged him that he headbutted the Italian and was expelled from the World Cup final, probably causing France's defeat?
At least three versions of Materazzi's assumed insult circulated yesterday. Zidane's agent Alain Migliaccio maintained he was "provoked", but said Zidane "will not reveal what Materazzi said to him". Migliaccio nonetheless promised that Zidane "will in one or two days' time explain why he had such a reaction" in Sunday's final.
The anti-racism group SOS-Racisme said that "according to several very well-informed sources from the world of football" Materazzi called Zidane a "dirty terrorist" - something Materazzi was reported last night to have denied. Zidane's parents are Algerian immigrants and he campaigns against racism.
The Brazilian newspaper Globo showed the video to three deaf and mute teenagers who are skilled at lip-reading. They believe Materazzi said, "Tua sorella è una puttana" (your sister is a prostitute), followed by an obscene gesture. The French website Sport.fr said the latter version was confirmed by a source close to Zidane.
Last night, BBC Newsnight reported that Materazzi wished death on Zidane's family (the French player's mother was hospitalised on the day of the final) and dismissed him with a profanity. Another report was that Materazzi said: "I slept with your mother last night."
French commentators were divided between those who saw the headbutt as a sign of Zidane's humanity and still considered him a hero, and those who found his loss of self-control inexcusable.
President Jacques Chirac was among the former. He and his wife Bernadette invited the French team and their wives to the Élysée Palace for lunch yesterday. "Dear Zinédine Zidane," Mr Chirac said. "In the most intense - perhaps difficult - moment of your career, I want to tell you of the affection and admiration of the entire nation. You are a virtuoso, a genius of world football. You are also a man with a heart, a man of commitment and conviction. That is why France admires and loves you."