Zidane was shown the red card in the second period of extra-time after he butted Materazzi in the chest, sending him sprawling.

The defender appeared to have said something to Zidane as the French captain walked past, causing Zidane to turn around and lunge at the Italian.

"Something happened, that's for sure," Domenech said. "I can't imagine that Zidane wanted to be sent off.

"Materrazzi is the man of the match, not Andrea Pirlo. He scored and he got Zidane sent off."

Domenech said that Zidane, who has declared he will end his playing career after the World Cup, was the victim of rough treatment from his Italian opponents throughout the final in Berlin's Olympic Stadium.

"When one has to put up with what he had to for 80 minutes and the referee doesn't do anything, one understands. You can't excuse it but you can understand it.

"To see him finish his career in this way is sad. He has had a great career and a great World Cup."

Domenech also claimed that Zidane had been sent off after the fourth official had seen the incident on video and informed referee Horacio Elizondo.

Domenech said he was so disappointed that he didn't think having a parade as planned down the Champs Elysees in Paris was merited.

"For Monday, if it was me who decided we wouldn't have one. Thirty years ago we did that sort of thing but I don't think it is the correct thing to do now.

"It is a very French thing to do, to be happy to have lost and not to have the winner.

"Me, I cannot be satisfied with that. There really was an opportunity to win it. I cannot be happy simply to be a finalist."

Domenech, who had been heavily criticised during the first round, said he was not thinking about the positives of the match or the tournament.

"I don't have the heart to remember the good things right now. I am deeply disappointed. We deserved the title based over the whole match.

"Only victory is beautiful and we missed out just by a little thing. We can say it wasn't too bad but it is the Italians who are the world champions. They played for the penalties because that was the only option for them."

Italy defender Gianluca Zambrotta, a former teammate of Zidane at Juventus, criticised him, saying the headbutt was a "spiteful gesture".

"I wasn't surprised because he did that when he played for Juventus," Zambrotta said.

While playing for the Italian club in 2000, Zidane was sent off and banned for five matches after headbutting SV Hamburg player Jochen Kientz in a Champions League match.

Italy coach Marcello Lippi denied that goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon had urged the referee to dismiss Zidane.

"We didn't request any action, it was the fourth official who told the linesman," Lippi said.

He said the French supporters in the crowd who booed Zidane's dismissal "didn't see what happened, but when they do tomorrow they'll think again".

"I've got great admiration for Zidane, I don't know what was going through his mind," Lippi said.

Buffon said: "It was sad to see such an unsporting gesture from such a great player."