Marco Materazzi

At 50 years old, Marco Materazzi has this physical status:

Marco Materazzi (Italian pronunciation: [ˈmarko mateˈrattsi]; born 19 August 1973) is an Italian former professional footballer and manager.

Early in his career, Materazzi played with various Italian teams in Serie B and Serie C, and with Everton in the Premier League. He spent two periods with Perugia (1995–98 and 1999–2001) and signed for Inter Milan in 2001 for €10 million. At club level, he won a number of major honors with Inter, including five Serie A league titles in a row from 2006 to 2010, one UEFA Champions League, one FIFA Club World Cup, four Coppa Italia titles, and the Supercoppa Italiana four times.

Materazzi earned 41 caps for Italy from his debut in 2001 until 2008, playing in two World Cups and two European Championships. He was one of the key players in the 2006 FIFA World Cup Final against France; he gave away an early penalty that led to France's first goal, scored Italy's equalising goal twelve minutes later and, in extra time, received a headbutt from Zinedine Zidane who was punished with a red card. Italy then went on to win the World Cup in a penalty shoot-out, during which Materazzi scored again.

A controversial and provocative figure in football, he was known for his very physical and aggressive style of defending, which saw him collect numerous cards throughout his career.

Personal life

Marco Materazzi was born in Lecce, where his father, Giuseppe, a professional footballer, was playing for U.S. Lecce. Giuseppe was also a former football coach and manager of teams such as Pisa, Lazio, Sporting CP and Tianjin Teda. Materazzi's mother died when he was 15 years old. His sister, Monia married Maurizio Maestrelli, the son of former manager Tommaso Maestrelli; Maurizio died on 28 November 2011. Monia's and Maurizio's son Alessio Maestrelli also became a footballer and made his professional debut in 2022. His brother Matteo is a sports agent.

As stated by his father, Marco grew up a supporter of Lazio. In September 2007, he released his autobiography called "Una vita da guerriero" (The Life of a Warrior) published by journalists Andrea Elefante (from Gazzetta dello Sport) and Roberto De Ponti (from Corriere della Sera).

Materazzi was married on 23 June 1997 to Daniela, with whom he has three children: Anna, Davide and Gianmarco.

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Club career

Materazzi began his football career with the Lazio and then the Messina Peloro youth teams from 1990 to 1991. He spent his youth in Italy's lower divisions, with amateur team Tor di Quinto (1991–94), and Serie C1 Trapani (1994–95), where he barely missed out on a historic promotion to Serie B after losing a promotion playoff to Gualdo. Perugia Calcio's first signing in 1995, but he spent time in Serie B with Carpi from 1996-97.

He then spent 1998–99 with Everton, where he was dismissed three times in 27 games and scored twice against Middlesbrough in the league and Huddersfield Town in the League Cup.

In 1999-2001, he returned to Perugia and scored 12 goals, seven from penalties, breaking Daniel Passarella's record of most goals by a defender in one season.

Materazzi was originally signed by Inter Milan in July 2001 for €10 million. In the first championship match against Perugia, he took squad number 23 and made his club debut on August 26th. Materazzi's first goal for Inter came on his second appearance, netting within ten minutes in a 2–2 draw at Parma. He appeared for eight times in the UEFA Cup this season, winning by 3–0 over Romania's Brașov on September 20th.

Materazzi played 23 games in league, including the final decisive match against Lazio, which lost Inter the championship, as he was embroiled in a tense discussion with the opposition players that devolved into a physical confrontation. In reference to Perugia's victory over Juventus in 2000, which led to Lazio's victory over the title, he was caught on the televisions shouting at Lazio captain Alessandro Nesta.

Materazzi made 33 appearances in the following season, including 13 in UEFA Champions League, where he played his first match against Sporting CP on August 14, 2002.

Materazzi's 2003-2004 season was marred by injuries, including one on November 25th during Arsenal's 5–1 home loss to Arsenal in UEFA Champions League group competition, which kept him out of action for two months. He was at the center of a controversy involving Siena player Bruno Cirillo at the start of 2004. This was played out 4–0 by Inter on 1 February in a match that was won 4–0 by Inter. Materazzi (who did not participate in the match) confronted Cirillo in the dressing rooms and began spewing insults at him. He also punched him in the chest, breaking his lips. Maurizio Laudi, the sports judge, suspended Materazzi until March 29, ensuring he missed eight club matches and one international match since the incident. Materazzi was also banned by UEFA for two UEFA Cup games in addition to his domestic punishment. Inter was also fined €5,000. Materazzi later regretted the incident, saying he "behaved poorly" and "reacted in a bad manner" and that he did not appeal the suspension.

Inter bench was entrusted to manager Roberto Mancini, with whom Materazzi lost his place in the starting lineup in July 2004-05 season. He played more in the next season and was the first Italian to score a goal for the club this season. Materazzi scored an 89th-minute header at Roma on March 5, 2006, rescuing his side a point and putting them one win shy behind the hosts' record of 11 consecutive victories. He made 39 appearances in all competitions during the 2005–06 season.

Materazzi signed a new deal in August 2006, which kept him at San Siro until June 2010. He and colleague Fabio Grosso were nominated for UEFA Team of the Year at the end of the year. He scored ten goals in the 2006-07 season, making him the top scoring defender of Serie A. He scored in the 4-3 victory over Milan over della Madonnina, an overhead kick against Messina, and a brace against Siena on April 23rd, the club's 15th league title with five games remaining. Materazzi was named the Serie A Defender of the Year in recognition of his performances.

Materazzi missed the first part of the 2007–08 season due to an injury while on international service, which caused him to be out of office until November 2007. Materazzi put on a poor showing in the first leg of the 2007-08 UEFA Champions League first knockout round against Liverpool, receiving a red card in the 30th minute as Inter lost 2–0 at Anfield. After the match, his teammates chastised him for his results. Materazzi argued with striker Julio Ricardo Cruz about who should take a penalty kick later this season, despite a 2–2 draw against Siena. Materazzi took it eventually, but Alex Manninger saved it, but not before that. It was his first missed outing since 2001. Inter was disqualified of winning the championship with just a game to spare due to the draw. Materazzi's apology followed the match, saying that it should have been Cruz who took the penalty. Inter won the championship for the third time in a row after defeating Parma 2–0 in the last matchday, with Materazzi playing full 90 minutes. He finished the season with 23 Serie A appearances, 4 Coppa Italia appearances, 1 Supercoppa Italiana appearance, and 3 UEFA Champions League appearances for a total of 33 appearances.

José Mourinho, the Portuguese president, arrived in the summer of 2008, although he did not consider Materazzi as the first choice in defense, relegating him to the bench. Other than that, his season was also marred by injuries, which reduced his league appearances to just 8. In a 3–3 draw at Anorthosis on Group B matchday 4, he scored his first UEFA Champions League goal on November 4th. Following Inter's 3–0 victory over Siena, Materazzi claimed his 4th championship on May 17th. Despite playing sparsibly, Materazzi was also praised by president Massimo Moratti, who said that Materazzi "always played well when he was called on last season," although Mourinho said he wanted to have Materazzi in his team.

Materazzi was released by Inter until June 2012, and he was released in June 2009. He was used sparingly during the 2009–10 season, with 20 appearances in all sports. He underwent arthroscopic surgery to fix the medial meniscus in his right knee, which kept him sidelined for one month. Materazzi was a late replacement for Inter in the 2010 UEFA Champions League Final against Bayern Munich, replacing Diego Milito who scored both of their goals in Madrid's 2–0 victory. Inter also clinched the Scudetto for the fifth season in a row, and Coppa Italia to complete the Treble.

He began his 2010-11 season by playing in the last minutes of a 3–1 home victory over Roma in the Supercoppa Italiana match. Materazzi's first league game of the season came later in November, when he conceded a penalty for fouling Zlatan Ibrahimovi and was sent to hospital after receiving a kung-fu kick in the stomach by the Swede. Inter lost the match 1–0. Manager Rafael Bentez calmed the situation by saying that Materazzi's injury "doesn't appear serious" after the match. In a 5–2 home win over Parma, he returned to action two weeks later by playing full 90 minutes. Materazzi was named in Inter's squad for the 2010 FIFA Club World Cup in December, but he remained on the bench as Inter defeated their fifth title of the year.

Materazzi resigned from the club in July 2011 after not being offered a new deal, having played around 270 games and winning 15 trophies, and then resigned from the sport shortly after. He was later appointed ambassador to Inter in the role of ambassador to Inter. Materazzi accused Leonardo of "stabbing him in the back" and being the reason for his departure from Inter, but also accused President Massimo Moratti of not having defended him against Leonardo later.

Materazzi was signed as the player-manager of Chennaiyin FC in the inaugural season of the Indian Super League on September 22, 2014. Materazzi has been working with Chennaiyin for two seasons. Each year, he earned $1 million (USD). Materazzi did not pick himself to participate in their first match against FC Goa on October 15, thanks to a free kick from marquee player and former Brazillian Elano. Chennaiyin defeated the Kerala Blasters 2–1, but four days later, he lost 1–4 to the Delhi Dynamos, just six days after being home in his first home game. He selected himself to play for the first time in the club's fourth match of the season, beginning with a 5–1 win over Mumbai City. He took his old international defensive partner Alessandro Nesta out of retirement to play for Chennaiyin until the end of the season on November 28. Chennaiyin finished in first place in the league during the 14-game regular season, with Materazzi having made 6 appearances. The Kerala Blasters dropped the team in extra time in the semi-finals at the end of the season.

Materazzi led Chennaiyin to the Indian Super League championship at the end of the 2015 season, but his deal came to an end. Materazzi would not return to the club for 2017 after the 2016 season was over.

International career

Materazzi made his Italy national team debut against South Africa on April 25, 2001, a 1–0 friendly match win. He made two appearances in the qualifying campaign against Georgia and Hungary. Materazzi was used as a reserve player to back up Alessandro Nesta and Fabio Cannavaro in the 2002 FIFA World Cup final tournament. He made only one appearance for Nesta in the 2–1 loss to Croatia, but before that goal, Materazzi played a floating ball over the top from just over half way to Inzaghi, but referee Graham Poll said he had grabbed an opponent's shirt. Materazzi was later chastised for his defense of both Croatia's goals during the match.

Despite a long absence with Inter, Materazzi was still called up by UEFA Euro 2004, where he was on the bench for Italy's first two games but got off the ground against Bulgaria in place of the suspended Fabio Cannavaro, who was suspended; Italy came from behind to win 2–1; and Manuel Petrov converted a penalty. Despite the victory, Italy was disqualified in the first round on direct encounters after a three-way five-point tie with Denmark and Sweden.

Materazzi played his first match as captain for Italy on November 17, 2004 in a 1–0 friendly win over Finland over whom he also received a yellow card. In another friendly against Iceland on March 30, 2005, where he was playing in the first half, he played in his second and final match as captain.

Materazzi was selected by head coach Marcello Lippi for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, his third major tournament. Materazzi came on as his replacement and made an impact by scoring a goal in the group match against the Czech Republic, but was named Man of the Match after Alessandro Nesta sustained an injury. In the round of 16 matches against Australia for a foul on Mark Bresciano, which resulted in a 1–0 win for the Italians, he was suspended for the quarter-final against Ukraine, which Italy defeated 32-0.

Materazzi fouled Florent Malouda to forfeit a penalty, which Zinedine Zidane subsequently scored. He made another difference by scoring a goal to tie the game, a header by Andrea Pirlo from a right-sided corner. Materazzi and Zidane were embroiled in a match in the 110th minute, where Materazzi verbally insulted Zidane while pulling his shirt as the latter attempted to walk away, resulting in Zidane's headbutting Materazzi and receiving a red card. The game then progressed to penalties. When Italy defeated France 5–3 to claim their fourth FIFA World Cup, Materazzi scored Italy's second goal on their second goal.

The final resulted in a big debate, as Zidane accused Materazzi of insulting his sister and mother. In addition, Materazzi said he had grabbed Zidane's jersey and told him, "I will give you my shirt after." Materazzi said, "Preferisco la puttana di tua sorella" (I would prefer your sister's whore) later in the headbutt. Materazzi had named Zidane "the son of a terrorist whore," three British tabloid newspapers, including the Daily Mail and The Sun, according to three of them. Materazzi took court action against all three newspapers, but the charges were eventually dismissed. Materazzi's FIFA 5,000 fine and a two-match suspension were later suspended. Materazzi, alongside striker Luca Toni, was Italy's top scorer throughout the tournament, winning 14 challenges throughout the tournament; he also won 14 challenges throughout the tournament. Zidane had predicted that rather than die "rather die than apologise" to Materazzi for the headbutt in the final, but he may have continued on the field and help France win the tournament.

Materazzi continued to play regularly throughout Euro 2008 qualifying season and became a starter after Alessandro Nesta's retirement. He started in the 3–0 loss to the Netherlands but was forced to leave in the 54th minute in what would be his last appearance for Italy as he was replaced later in the tournament by Giorgio Chiellini. Materazzi was not called back to the national team later in the season after Lippi's return. For Italy, he had 41 appearances and two goals.

Career statistics

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After each Materazzi goal, Italy's score appears in the first place, while the score column indicates the score.

All competitive league games (both domestic and international cup) are included, as well as international matches (including friendlies).

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