Qatar to reinstall Zidane statue that sparked backlash

A man takes pictures of a bronze sculpture titled Coup de Tete by Algerian-born French artist Adel Abdessemed during its installation on the Corniche in Doha on Oct 7, 2013. (File photo: Reuters)

Qatar plans to reinstall a sculpture immortalising French-Algerian football player Zinedine Zidane's headbutt during the 2006 World Cup final, which had been removed in 2013 amid a domestic backlash, the head of Qatar Museums said on Monday (Jun 6).

The 5m bronze work called Coup de tête was removed days after its unveiling after people in the conservative Muslim country criticised it for promoting idolatry and others said it encouraged violence.