logo
Thu 31 March 2022 | 10:30

Top facts about Matteo Ferrari, Svirgolone

Matteo Ferrari spent 2005/06 on loan with Everton and, despite a campaign heavily disrupted by injury, was so enthusiastically acclaimed by The Toffees fans. Read on to find out more facts about Matteo Ferrari.

Matthieu Ferrari Cavaliere OMRI (born 5 December 1979) is a former Italian footballer who is best known for his time as a defender for Inter Milan during the 1990s.

Matteo Ferrari’s age

is 42. Here, you can find the most important facts about Matteo Ferrari, the history maker.

The first fact about Matteo Ferrari is that he was awarded the OMRI award in recognition of his services to football. In recognition of his efforts, he was named the Italian Footballer of the Year in 2007 by the Italian Football Federation.

At one point in his career, he played for the

Montreal Impact

of Major League Soccer and was a regular first-teamer for them. During his time with each of those teams, he also played for a number of Italian clubs from the Serie A and the Premier League, respectively.

A center back, despite the fact that he was capable of playing anywhere along the defensive line, when necessary, he was most often used as a right back when on the field.

An important fact about Matteo Ferrari is that he represented Italy at the Summer Olympics in 2000 and 2004, winning a bronze medal in his final appearance at the latter competition.

While playing for the Italian national team during their participation in the Euro 2004 competition, he made the majority of his 11 full international appearances for his country.

Top facts about Matteo Ferrari:

Originally from the North African country of Algeria, the Italian began his professional career with the youth team of SPAL Ferrara, where he has remained ever since.

Following his release from

Inter Milan

, he signed with AC Milan, where he began his professional career as a youth player before being promoted to the first team the following year.

Ferrari rejoined the CFC Genoa soccer team in 2008 after a half-year stint with the

Everton

soccer team in England. While playing for the Italian club US Lecce in the 1998–99 season, the right-back was named to the team's first team. After that, it went on to play for AS Bari in the 1999/2000 season.

Matteo Ferrari early life

Speaking about

Matteo Ferrari’s parents

, it should be mentioned that he is the Algerian-born son of an Italian petroleum engineer and a Guinean mother who immigrated to Italy when he was only a child.

His father worked in a number of African countries while he was growing up, allowing him to pursue his lifelong dream of traveling the world with his family.

Speaking about

Matteo Ferrari’s childhood

, it should be mentioned that his father passed away when he was 14 years old.

Matteo Ferrari personal life

Matteo Ferrari and Venezuelan model, Ada Yéspica, reconnected in December 2009, two years after parting ways with each other's respective organizations. Aron first appeared in the universe in the year 2008.

Matteo Ferrari professional career

Matteo Ferrari embarked on his youth career at Real SPAL moving to Internazionale in 1996. However, for a four-year senior stint with the Nerazzuri, he spent three seasons out on loan at Genoa,

Lecce

, and Bari.

Ferrari played 27 international matches for the Italy U-21 team. He featured in 7 games of the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics. Ferrari was called up to the senior Italy side in a match against Turkey in November 2002.

Matteo Ferrari club career

Matteo Ferrari is an Italian defender who began his professional career with SPAL in 1995. He can play both at left back and as a central defensive midfielder, and he has played both positions in the past.

Having begun his professional career as a student on youth teams, it took him several years to become acclimated to the demands of the professional game.

His first season with the team saw him play as a center striker, and during that time he scored 37 goals in the league before being moved to the defense by Coach Luigi Pasetti.

Other clubs that signed him after he was released by Internazionale Milano included A.S. Bari (with whom he also shares co-ownership) and Genoa C.F.C. (with whom he also shares co-ownership).

In a match between Fiorentina and A.S. Bari on August 29, 1999, Ferrari made his Serie A debut and was in attendance throughout the entire game, which was his first in the league.

Parma

An offer of a permanent transfer from the club was made to him in May 2002, which he accepted for €5.7 million (the transfer fee at the time was the club's then-record amount). A permanent transfer was offered to him by the club as a result of his outstanding performance.

An important

fact about Matteo Ferrari

is that he led his team to their first victory, which was also their first victory in any competition, by taking first place in the competition at the National Convenor in

Parma

.

Roma

On July 31, 2004, he signed a contract with A.S. Roma for a fee of €7.25 million. In addition, he committed to a contract of €2.965 million per year on a taxable basis.

He was signed as a replacement for Walter Samuel, who had moved to

Real Madrid

, with a portion of the funds raised by Damiano Ferronetti's transfer in the other direction and Cesare Bovo's loan on the same day.

In his first season with the capital club, he was unable to achieve the levels of performance he had previously shown with his former team Parma.

Following Roma's second-place finish and qualification for the 2006–07 UEFA Champions League group stage (as a result of the scandal), Ferrari returned to the club at the start of the 2006–07 season.

He was the first-choice central defender alongside Philippe Mexès, with Cristian Chivu as the primary leftback or centre-back and Christian Panucci as the primary right-back, with Marco Cassetti as a replacement.

Roma have also loaned away veteran Samuel Kuffour and sold Leandro Cufré in addition to these moves. Ferrari made 27 games in Serie A, 24 of which were as a starter, and helped Roma reach second place in the league and the Coppa Italia under his leadership.

In part due to his inability to maintain the same high level of play throughout his time at Parma, he earned the nickname Svirgolone, which referred to his inconsistent play and poor defensive play.

Everton

The Giallorossi leased him to UEFA Champions League opponent Everton for €200,000 with an option to purchase him for €5.5 million on August 24, 2005, despite a transfer ban that barred Roma from signing players at the time.

It took him a few games to get used to playing in the Premier League, but Ferrari rapidly established himself as a crucial member of the Everton team.

He unfortunately sustained nerve damage in his hamstring during the 1–0 win against Arsenal, and he was forced to miss the remainder of the campaign as a result.

He was recalled to the squad for Everton's FA Cup 4th round replay defeat to

Chelsea

on Sunday. Manager

David Moyes

commented about the summer transfer campaign on Everton FC's official website in April 2006.

He said that he had already decided which players he wanted to keep, and that he had done so based on their previous performances.

"Players are always attempting to secure their future in some way, but we are well aware of what they are capable of, and I have no reason to assume that what occurs in the last month of the season will affect my opinion.” –David Moyes, the manager of Manchester United.

Moyes notified Evertonfc.com, the club's official website, in May 2006 that the loan agreement with Ferrari would not be extended for the next season.

Genoa

Because his contract with Roma expired at the end of the 2007–08 Serie A season, he is no longer a member of the club's organization. The decision was finally made for Ferrari to join Genoa for the 2008–09 Serie A season on a free transfer.

Following his move to Genoa, Ferrari made his first appearance for the club in the season's opening match, a 1–0 loss to Catania on August 31, 2008. Ferrari struggled with disciplinary issues while at Genoa, getting six yellow cards and two red cards during his stay with the club.

An important

fact about Matteo Ferrari

is that he was dismissed from the game against Catania (the side against which he made his Genoa debut) on January 25, 2009, after committing his second bookable offense in as many games.

A one-match ban was imposed on him, and he returned to the field against Palermo on February 1, 2009, to earn a convincing 1–0 win. Ferrari drew another yellow card in a 3–1 victory against

Sampdoria

on May 3, 2009, after committing his second bookable offense.

He was also given a one-match ban, and he made his return against Chievo on May 17, 2009, drawing the match 2–2 in the process. When Coach Gian Piero Gasperini was at Genoa, Ferrari was a regular on the defensive side of the field.

Beşiktaş

The Turkish club Beşiktaş JK indicated interest in signing him after he had played one season for Genoa. On July 8, 2009, it was confirmed that Ferrari had agreed to a €4.5 million transfer fee with Turkish club Beşiktaş in exchange for his services.

He committed to a four-year contract with the company. He earned a total of €2.5 million in salary and bonuses during the season.

A notable fact about Matteo Ferrari is that he made his professional debut for

Beşiktas

on August 7, 2009, in a 1–1 draw against Istanbul B.B. in the opening match of the Turkish League. Ferrari was sent a straight red card on October 27, 2009, during a 2–1 win against Kasmpaşa SK in Turkey.

Ferrari had been identified as one of Besiktas' underperforming players in September 2009, and he was expected to leave the club during the January transfer window. Ferrari, on the other hand, chose not to leave the club and has opted to remain.

After being confined to a few of first-team games during the 2010–11 season under manager Bernd Schuster, Ferrari went on to suffer a serious injury in a match against Bursaspor, which forced him to miss two months of the season.

Ferrari told the club that the contract will be terminated due to a number of disputes. According to him, the club had breached his contract by denying him the opportunity to train with the team during pre-season training.

Ferrari was also told by the club of his absence from training, with the club indicating that the club had the authority to terminate the contract at any time. Immediately upon the player's release, both the player and the club filed lawsuits against one another for breach of contract.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld Ferrari's appeal and rejected Beşiktaş's counter-claim, according to a statement. The court ordered Beşiktaş to pay Ferrari €7,256,641.95 in salaries and medical expenses.

Montreal

The next day, on November 12, 2011, Ferrari began training with Monza in the Lega Pro Prima Divisione, after a stint away from Beşiktaş.

From the end of December to the beginning of January, he remained with the team. In the next year, Ferrari returned to

Inter Milan

, where he began his professional football career.

Ferrari was invited to the Montreal Impact's preseason training camp in Los Angeles on February 14, 2012, when he was exercising with the Italian club Inter Milan.

During his tryout, Ferrari and the Impact's administration began talking contract terms in order for Ferrari to be able to join the club for the franchise's first 2012 Major League Soccer season.

On March 1, 2012, the Montreal Impact officially announced that he has signed a contract with the club for the 2012 season.

On May 11, 2013, during a match against Real Salt Lake, Ferrari scored an own goal in the 7th minute, giving RSL an early 1–0 lead. He made up for it, though, by scoring the game-winning goal in the 93rd minute in a 3–2 triumph.

In the event that Ferrari scores, it will be the Impact's lone goal of the season. Ferrari's contract option was declined on October 31, 2014, according to the company.

Matteo Ferrari international career

Ferrari chose to play for the Italy national football team, despite the fact that he was also qualified to represent Algeria at the international level, according to the Italian press.

Additionally, he represented Italy at the U15, U16, U17, U18, U20, and U21 levels, with the U21 side winning the UEFA European Under-21 Championship in 2000.

Italy's Olympic Team is comprised of athletes that have competed in the Olympic Games. Ferrari competed for Italy's U23 squad in two Olympic Games, in 2000 and 2004. He has also competed for the national team.

In 2000, he made his sole appearance in Italy's quarter-final defeat to Spain. In 2004, he was one of three over-age players who were permitted to represent Italy.

During the tournament, he played in every match for his country, which lost in the semi-finals to eventual champions Argentina before winning the Bronze Medal game against Iraq.

A friendly versus Serbia and

Montenegro

was Ferrari's first senior international call-up (as FR Yugoslavia), but he did not take part.

In a 1–1 friendly tie against Turkey on November 20, 2002, he made his full international debut for the United States.

A notable

fact about Matteo Ferrari

is that he made his competitive debut for Italy in a Euro 2004 qualifying match against Azerbaijan, coming in to replace Alessandro Nesta for the last 14 minutes of the game. It was in a friendly against Tunisia on May 30th, 2004, that he made his last appearance for Italy.

He was signed by manager Giovanni Trapattoni for the Euro 2004 tournament, but he did not take part in it since Italy was eliminated in the group stage after finishing in a three-way tie with Denmark and Sweden with five points each.

Ferrari received a single call-up from new coach Marcello Lippi in September, but he did not appear in any games.

Matteo Ferrari quotes

About his time at Olympic camps he has said, "I was seated in front of this gigantic man who had his head down devouring everything that came to the table," Ferrari recalls from a 17-year-ago supper in Athens. “He raised his head to take a break from the meal and said, 'Hi.'"

"I was a basketball fan and immediately recognized Yao Ming of the Houston Rockets. He was competing in the Olympics for China. We spoke for an hour about his whole life and work."

Ferrari was one of the Olympic athletes that received the Italian Republic's Knight Order of Merit.

"Not many individuals have this honor, and I will be proud for the rest of my life," he adds. “I'm also pleased with the bronze medal. Unfortunately, Argentina was invincible."

A notable fact about Matteo Ferrari is that he spent one season on loan at Everton in 2005/06 and has no idea why he was so well-received by the club's fans, who speak highly of the experienced defender.

He responds, "This is a question you should ask the fans. They gave me more than I offered them, and I'll be eternally thankful for their help."

"The Everton fans' and family's devotion for me is something I still don't comprehend. Although I wasn't acting, it was an act of pure love.

I've played for a lot of clubs, but I've never seen this kind of passion anywhere else. I'd play at Goodison Park again if God could grant me another 90 minutes on my legs." While the stadium isn't the nicest I've ever played in, the atmosphere is incredible."

"The position of Everton is the first thing I check when I look at the Premier League standings today. Then I'll be able to concentrate on the rest."

During Ferrari's first months at Everton, the club was urgently attempting to shake off the effects of a throbbing Champions League hangover. Before a 10-week injury layoff in late October, he arrived 24 hours after the devastating loss in

Villarreal

and was only on the winning side once in six outings.

Ferrari injured his hamstring in a win against Arsenal at Goodison Park just five games into his new-year comeback — four victories and one draw – thereby ending a tumultuous season.

"The first injury was an ankle twist, which was just poor luck," Ferrari recalls of his 13-game suspension. "I believe the second occurred as a result of my adapting to a new form of training, particularly the effort in the gym.”

"When I arrived, the atmosphere was gloomy; Everton had recently lost in the Champions League and were struggling. I started at left-back with a poor level of performance.”

"However, I'd been in similar circumstances previously in my career and knew it was just a matter of time until everything calmed down."

"As time went on, I became more aware of the Club's magnitude and support. To me, Everton was synonymous with family. I wasn't expecting to have my worst injury season ever."

"My greatest regret is that Everton supporters never got to see the real me. I only played a small number of games, and even then, I was only half-fit. I wanted to remain and show everyone what I could accomplish when I was well, but I couldn't."

"Most people claim that they have no regrets in their lives. But I would have stayed at Everton for at least another season - and if I'd had fewer injuries, my career would have turned out differently."

Ferrari was born and spent his first three months of life in Aflou, Algeria, where his father was stationed for business.

Ferrari's early recollections are confined to the little northern Italian city of Ferrara, where he lived entirely with pasta e pallone: spaghetti and ball, in Ferrari's words.

"Nothing was more essential than football," Ferrari starts. "Today, things have changed. My children like soccer, but they are easily sidetracked by other activities."

Ferrari was so good as a defender after switching from center-forward at the age of 13 that he was recognized as an Italy Under-15 player while playing for third-tier S.P.A.L.

"I used to score a lot of goals, but in practice I always played as a defense because I loved to read and anticipate the game," Ferrari adds.

"My coach asked me to participate in a game, and after that, I didn't want to play as a striker anymore, which is strange since most kids like to score goals," says the player.

While Ferrari's father died when he was just 12 years old, football became his rescue. He describes it as "devastating" in many respects.

"For a time, I couldn't accept it and pretended he was still alive. In general, I grew enraged, fighting at school, doing evil things, and going down the wrong path in life.”

"It was undoubtedly soccer that rescued me since it was the one decent thing I was still doing. My father would have liked me to excel in school rather than football, but I'm sure he'd be happy of what I've accomplished."

Ferrari stood out on his Italy Under-15 squad as the lone player not signed to one of Serie A's flashy clubs.

When Inter Milan made overtures, Ferrari realized it was time to "push himself harder" - even if it meant moving more than 150 miles west before turning 16 years old.

At the age of 17, he joined Inter's star-studded first team, played his first professional football on loan in Serie B with

Genoa

, and started to shine the following season with a Lecce side that gained promotion to Serie A on the penultimate day.

Ferrari went on a third loan to Bari in 1999/00, almost surviving relegation to the second division, before returning to Inter to play 27 games the following season.

"Leaving home wasn't tough since I was chasing my goal," Ferrari said in an interview. "There were problems and barriers, and I wasn't the greatest player, but I persevered; I was willing to die to achieve my dream."

"When I initially sat on Inter's bench, I was astounded by the caliber of the players. Paul Ince and his charisma will live on in my memory forever. And I was enthralled by Ronaldo's performance; I'd never seen any player with his speed, strength, and dexterity with both feet. In my view, he is the finest player ever, along with Maradona and Pelé.”

"At Lecce, I began to demonstrate that I was ready for the next step — winning promotion makes all the sacrifices worthwhile, and it makes you want more."

"That major step came with Bari - I didn't want to go there, but I didn't have a choice, and it was the ideal setting for me; this young Algerian guy from a little town making his Serie A debut. I couldn't have asked for anything better."

Inter finished sixth in Ferrari's first season as a regular, and their season came to an end when they were beaten 6-0 by city rivals AC Milan. Players were fired, including the inexperienced Ferrari, who was blamed for a lackluster year.

He moved to Parma and flourished for two years under Cesare Prandelli, the manager who joined Roma in 2004 and won a heavyweight battle for the signing of a player who went to the European Championship with Italy that summer.

"We didn't have a fantastic season at Inter, and when things go wrong for a large club in Italy, the young players are the ones who suffer the price first," Ferrari explains. We had a wonderful team but dismal results our first season in Parma."

"Many of us realized when Prandelli arrived that we couldn't afford another terrible season. I didn't play a minute in pre-season and was debating where to go with my agency – but I wanted to show Parma and the coach who I was.”

"One day, Prandelli was unhappy about our friendly results, but he used me as an example since, despite not playing, I trained hard every day."

"Everything changed after that. I moved from not playing to captaining the team, and we had a terrific season, earning me my first call from Italy.”

When Ferrari turned down

Juventus

, Inter, Real Madrid, and Manchester United to reconnect with Prandelli at Roma, he was third in line for his national team after "great defenders" Alessandro Nesta and Fabio Cannavaro.

Due to his wife's illness, the manager departed before supervising a competitive match, and Ferrari struggled in his rookie season, fighting tiredness after a European Championship and Olympic summer.

"I pondered returning to Inter since I had unfinished business there, but I opted to stick with coach Prandelli," Ferrari, who has 11 Italy caps, recalls.

"I was out of shape and psychologically depressed when I came. I just had a one-week vacation and no pre-season."

In one season, Roma went through four managers before settling on Luciano Spalletti in the summer of 2005. Ferrari was not given the opportunity to impress his new boss. After one season at Goodison, he had no option but to return to Roma.

"I believe destiny wants me to enjoy one of my finest seasons back in Rome, winning the Italian cup and reaching the Champions League quarter-finals," Ferrari adds, referring to his team's Serie A second-place finish.

"I was in good health and had a strong desire to succeed. I always played excellent games when I was in good shape.”

"I learnt the intensity in England that we don't have in Italy. My style of play in Rome the next year was quicker and more powerful."

Ferrari turned down the offer of new four-year contracts when his Roma contract expired in 2008. He wanted to start a "new chapter" after his Roma contract expired in 2008.

He selected Genoa over both Milan teams, where he anticipated a diminished role, and sealed the deal with his new club's president, Enrico Preziosi, in a Rome restaurant.

"A handshake and the correct words may sometimes be worth more than a thousand contracts," he says.

As Genoa came within a hair of qualifying for the Champions League, Ferrari's consistency on the field was a success for the player's determination and adaptation. He had athletic pubalgia, sometimes known as a sports hernia, which caused severe groin agony.

"I experienced this problem for over two years at 30 and seven months at 19," Ferrari explains.

"I never missed a game or a practice. During sports, I couldn't kick the ball with my right foot, so I became a 'lefty,' in a sense. However, we had a terrific season with Genoa and, more significantly, I assisted in changing the club's culture."

In Turkey, a strong first season was followed by an injury-plagued second. After two years at the club, he departed under a cloud, and the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled in Ferrari's favor in October 2012, after he accused Besiktas of unjustly terminating his contract.

"Besiktas offered me ridiculous money to come, and I couldn't say no," Ferrari adds.

"The team was great, and the atmosphere was incredible. Istanbul is one of Europe's most beautiful cities. Once again, injuries were to blame for my issues. After almost losing an eye due to a collision in a game, I tore a muscle twice and required surgery on my orbital bone.”

"I went 11 months without taking my income without saying anything, but when I felt I was being treated unfairly, I stood up for myself and won a large lawsuit."

Some more facts about Matteo Ferrari:

A notable fact about Matteo Ferrari is that he returned to Inter Milan for the 2000/01 season, the club for which he made his professional debut in 1989. During his time with the Serie A club AC Parma (2001-2004), the Italian was under contract with the club.

After a relatively lengthy stay with the Parmiggianihe, he was traded to AS Roma for an undisclosed fee in exchange for Damiano Ferronetti, who went on to play for the aforementioned Parma.

To cover for the injured Alessandro Pistone, he was loaned out by Roma to Everton for the remainder of the 2005/06 season with a €5.4 million purchase option.

He played for the Toffees until the end of the season. However, despite the fact that they had a purchase option at the end of the season, the Toffees chose not to take advantage of the situation.

The following season, he returned to AS Roma but did not renew his contract with the club, instead signing a three-year deal with CFC Genoa, where he quickly established himself as a key member of the defense under Coach Gian Piero Gasperini's guidance.

During the month of July, 2009, Ferrari reached an agreement with Turkish club Beşiktaş Istanbul on a four-year deal.

Currently a member of the Montreal Impact of Major League Soccer, where he has played alongside players such as Marco Di Vaio and Alessandro Nesta, he has been with the team since the spring of 2012. For the Montreal Impact in his first season, Ferrari appeared in 25 games and started 23 of them, making him the team's most experienced player.

Ferrari played in 31 games for the Montreal Impact during the 2013 season, scoring his first goal for the club against Real Salt Lake on May 11, 2013. Ferrari was named to the MLS All-Star Team in 2012. Just as it had done the year before, Ferrari was a participant in the CONCACAF Champions League this year.

An important fact about Matteo Ferrari is that he appeared in a total of 25 games for the Montreal Canadiens as a member of the team's defense during the 2014 season. The Montreal Impact announced in October 2014 that they would not be renewing his contract, which was set to expire at the end of the 2014 season.

Matteo Ferrari began his career at the U-15 level and has progressed through the ranks of all of his country's youth teams. As a member of the Italian U-21 team that won the European Championship in Slovakia in 2000, he worked with Marco Tardelli, who was then the national coach.

Since the beginning of the season, Ferrari has made a total of eleven appearances for the Italian national team. A 1-1 friendly draw with Turkey in Pescara on November 20, 2002, marked his international debut for

Giovanni Trapattoni

's team.

Even though he was named to Italy's Euro 2004 squad, the defender did not appear in any of the games, and his country was eliminated after the group stage.

The following year, Matteo Ferrari went on to represent his country at the Summer Olympics in Athens, where he competed in the soccer competition. He played in all six games and contributed to the vonClaudio Gentile-coached team's bronze-medal finish in the tournament.

Matteo Ferrari social media

Regarding

Matteo Ferrari social media

, it should be mentioned that he does not have any pages on any social media platforms.

Matteo Ferrari body measurements

Speaking about

Matteo Ferrari body measurements

, it should be mentioned that he is 183cm and 77kg.

Matteo Ferrari net worth and salary

Matteo Ferrari's net worth

is estimated to be around $6 million, according to Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider.

 

Read More:

Follow 

Sportmob

 for the 

latest football news

source: SportMob



DISCLAIMER! Sportmob does not claim ownership of any of the pictures posted on this website. Again, we do not host pictures or videos ourselves. Our authors merely link to the rightful owner. Lastly, Sportmob have carefully considered and reviewed all of its content. Despite that, it is possible that some information might be out-dated or incomplete.