Marco Materazzi Biography

Marco Materazzi, born on 19 August 1973, in Lecce, is a former Italian professional footballer, who played for many teams, notably for Inter. He is a son of former footballer Giuseppe Materazzi.

Marco Materazzi was a defender and played his first international match on 25 April 2001 versus South Africa. He was one of the players who are very popular in the national team, while in club football they always get booed by the opposing team supporters. He was part of the national team for the 2006 World Cup. Until 9 July 2006, he played 31 international matches in which he scored twice. His most important goal was the equalizer he scored in the final of 2006 World Cup against France.

Already known as a goalscorer defender, Materazzi scored 12 goals in 32 league games for Perugia in the 2000/2001 season. In the 2006/2007 season, he almost repeated this feat at Inter Milan, scoring 10 goals in 28 games.

Sometimes he was a bit unfortunate in the matches he had played. For example, he has scored own goals a few times and has also been shown red cards or gave penalties a few times. In the 2005-2006 season, he elbowed the Argentine Juan Pablo Sorín in his club Internazionale's UEFA Champions League match against

.

Materazzi did feature in the ESM team of the year in the 2006/2007 football season. The ESM team is chosen by the biggest European football magazines.

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All You Need to Know about Marco Materazzi Biography

At the 2006 World Cup, he again drew attention with fouls by and against him. Against Australia, he was sent off early in the game. In the final against France, Materazzi scored his second goal of the tournament before half-time to level the score for Italy. In the second half of the extra time, he was headbutted by Zinedine Zidane, which led to the dismissal of Zinedine Zidane from the pitch.

Marco Materazzi Information

In this section of

Marco Materazzi biography

, we want to share some general information about him, such as

Marco Materazzi nationality

, so you can get to know him much better.

Marco Materazzi Bio

• Full Name: Marco Materazzi

• Nickname: Matrix

• Profession: Professional Footballer

Marco Materazzi Physical Stats

• Weight: 92 Kg

• Height: 1.93 m

• Eye Color: Dark Brown

• Hair Color: Dark Brown

Marco Materazzi Football Information

• Position: Defender

• Jersey Number: 23

• Professional Debut: 1990

Marco Materazzi Date of Birth and Personal Info

• Date of Birth: 19 August 1973

• Birth Place: Lecce, Italy

• Zodiac Sign: Leo

• Nationality: Italian

Now stay tuned to this section of

Marco Materazzi biography

as we want to share some information about

Marco Materazzi childhood

.

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Marco Materazzi Early Life

He took his first steps as a player in the youth teams of

and

. From 1991 to 1993 he played in Tor di Quinto, in Promozione; he then played with Marsala and Trapani, reaching with the latter the play-off of Serie C1 in the 1994-95 season. He then moved to Perugia in 1995, winning the Primavera Championship, and then moved on loan to Carpi.

He returned to Perugia in January 1997, and on 2 February he made his debut in Serie A in the goalless draw against Inter. Two weeks later he scored his first goal, in a 2-1 loss against

. With the Italian club, he was relegated at the end of the season, before immediately winning promotion again.

During the 1997-98 season, he joined the English league and

. He spent only one season with the Toffees, where he scored two goals and received three red cards in thirty-three matches played for the club.

Marco Materazzi Profile

His third dismissal came on 11 April 1999 during a match between Everton and

, during which Materazzi was shown a second yellow card in the 85th minute for a foul on Darren Huckerby, described by the British press as not very obvious or even imaginary. The player stated on this subject: “The English have a very nationalist side, I have been sent off several times just because I am Italian, I am sure of it. I remember, facing Coventry, I was expelled for nothing, I didn't make a mistake on Huckerby.”

Alone in Great Britain with his wife Daniela and young son, Marco Materazzi seized the opportunity to return to

. In the summer of 1999, his former club in

reached an agreement with Everton to secure his return. Everton later claimed a sum of 500,000 pounds allegedly unpaid on this transfer and appealed to FIFA to settle the dispute.

Appointed captain of the Perugia team, Materazzi scored twelve goals, including eight penalties in

in the 2000-2001 season, a new record for a defender in the Italian championship, beating the previous record of 11 goals set by Argentinean Daniel Passarella in the 1984-1985 season. He was voted player of the year by the club's supporters.

Now stay tuned to this section of Marco Materazzi biography as we want to share some information about his

career.

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Inter

In the summer of 2001, he was bought by Inter, playing his first match against his former team. In his second presence, he scored a goal against

, but it wasn't enough for the Nerazzurri to win the match. Despite having a good season, the Milanese team didn't win any trophy, being eliminated in the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup and failing the Scudetto in the final match.

Inter lost the first place in favour of Juventus in the match against Lazio: Materazzi was involved in a controversial incident when, at the end of the match, the players of the two teams were fighting with each other. The cameras also caught the defender's lip while he was reminding the Lazio player, Nesta of the victory of the title by the Romans in 2000, achieved thanks to the victory of Perugia against Juventus.

Further controversy arose with Antonio Conte, at the time midfielder of the Bianconeri. During the following season, Inter once again failed to win a trophy, this time losing against rivals

in the

semi-final - due to away goals - and finishing the league behind Juventus.

Materazzi's third season at Inter was marked by a brutal case, when after the match against Siena on 1 February 2004, the defender punched the opponent Bruno Cirillo damaging his lip. The circumstance was aggravated by the undue presence of the Inter player on the bench, as he was not included in the official list. Cirillo also contested the insults received, as during the match Materazzi had referred to him as "poor" to his teammates.

Despite the apologies provided by the club, the sporting judge Maurizio Laudi imposed a long suspension on the player: the suspension was until the end of March, with the measure also concerning the international competition. The seriousness of the situation induced the club, fined 5 000 euros, not to appeal: in the following days, Materazzi personally met Cirillo to apologize for the incident. The 30-year-old defender returned to the pitch in the spring, contributing to a fourth-place finish in the league.

The days of success under Roberto Mancini

In the summer of 2004, Roberto Mancini was appointed as manager, with whom the defender initially didn't find a place in the starting line-up. He made himself a leading player with mixed performances, but he got more chances after the success at the 2006

with the Azzurri jersey.

In the 2006-07 season, he contributed to the victory of the Italian Serie A title with 10 goals, in particular with a goal in the derby of Milan (which ended with a red card for him) and a goal against Messina. He was also the scorer of a decisive double against Siena, a victory that guaranteed Milan the title with five games to go.

He played a minor role in the following season after an injury suffered from the national team at the beginning of the season. With Samuel and Córdoba in his role, he scored his only goal on 27 April 2008 in the 2-1 win against

. Two weeks later he had a negative role in the match against Siena, missing a penalty kick after having taken the ball away from the appointed shooter Cruz; however, Inter won the Scudetto on the last day.

José Mourinho replaced Mancini after the victorious season, with whom Materazzi was rarely used. The club won the national title for the fourth consecutive season, while the player was the subject of yet another controversial event: during the celebrations, he displayed a vulgar banner in response to Ambrosini, who in 2007 had been aggressive towards the Nerazzurri after their victory in the league.

Another controversy arose in January 2010, when the player wore a mask of Silvio Berlusconi after the derby won by his team: Materazzi avoided the risk of a suspension, providing an apology to the Prime Minister by phone and attributing the fact to the post-match fun atmosphere. He had the opportunity to further enrich his sporting achievements: under the guidance of the Portuguese, Materazzi won two league titles, as well as triumphing in the Coppa Italia and the Champions League.

In June 2011, after winning another national cup and especially the Club World Cup, he terminated his contract by mutual agreement with the club. The player later complained to president Massimo Moratti, who was guilty of not defending him against coach Leonardo.

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Marco Materazzi biography

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Chennaiyin Titans

Three years after his retirement at Inter Milan, he returned to playing football again. After being pursued since the beginning of the summer by the Chennaiyin Titans, the new Indian Super League team, the 41-year-old Italian defender accepted the Indian club's proposal and signed a one-season contract with the option for another year and became their Player-Manager.

He played seven matches for the club and scored a goal. Under Materazzi's guidance, Chennaiyin Titans won the Super League in 2015. However, the following season, the team failed to reach the championship playoffs. On 6 March 2017, Marco stepped down as head coach of Chennaiyin Titans. Materazzi and the club parted ways by mutual agreement.

Italy National Team

Materazzi was almost 28 years old when he was first called up for the national team by coach Giovanni Trapattoni, during a friendly match against

in April 2001 in Perugia. Materazzi was called up due to the unavailability of Alessandro Nesta, but was accompanied by his club mate Fabio Liverani and distinguished himself from the outset by his head play against the South Africans.

As the central defence of the Italian squad built by Trapattoni was based on pillars such as Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Nesta and Fabio Cannavaro, Materazzi had to make do with being a substitute during the 2002 World Cup and Euro 2004, and then during the qualifying campaign for the 2006 World Cup under new coach Marcello Lippi.

The Inter Milan centre-back was not part of national coach Marcello Lippi's starting line-up for the 2006 World Cup. When Alessandro Nesta was injured in the last group stage match against the Czech Republic, Materazzi was brought on as a substitute and scored the 1-0 lead after his substitution with a header from a corner kick.

Marco Materazzi was in the spotlight several times during the World Cup: In the round of 16 against Australia, he received a red card after a foul and did not play again until the semi-final against Germany.

In the final, he first gave

a penalty in the 6th minute and then scored Italy's equaliser in the 19th minute with a header from Andrea Pirlo's corner. In the penalty shoot-out that followed, Materazzi converted a penalty kick.

In the 109th minute of the final match, Zidane headbutted Materazzi in the chest and was subsequently sent off. This was triggered by Materazzi's provocative insults against Zidane, which Materazzi initially denied but admitted a few days later. Materazzi told the Gazzetta Dello Sport that he had only briefly grabbed Zidane's shirt. The Frenchman then gave him a condescending look and said that he could have the jersey after the match if he wanted, which led Materazzi to make his comments.

In the 109th minute of the final match, Zidane headbutted Materazzi in the chest and was subsequently sent off. This was triggered by Materazzi's provocative insults against Zidane, which Materazzi initially denied but admitted a few days later. Materazzi told the Gazzetta Dello Sport that he had only briefly grabbed Zidane's shirt. The Frenchman then gave him a condescending look and said that he could have the jersey after the match if he wanted, which led Materazzi to make his comments.

On 13 July 2006, FIFA opened an investigation against Marco Materazzi to clarify the incident. He and Zidane had to testify before a disciplinary committee on 20 July. Both players stated that Materazzi's insults were offensive but not racist in nature. Materazzi was sentenced to a two-match ban and a fine of 5,000 Swiss francs. This meant that he could not play in the European Championship qualifying match on 6 September 2006 in Paris.

Materazzi revealed the wording of his insult on Italian television on 18 August 2007. When asked by Zidane if Materazzi wanted his jersey, he replied: "I prefer your sister, the whore." That same year, Materazzi published a book about the headbutt.

In September 2012, a bronze statue by Adel Abdessemed for Zidane and Materazzi depicting the headbutt scene was unveiled in front of the Centre Pompidou in Paris. In 2013, the monument was temporarily located on the seashore in Doha, the capital of Qatar. Since then, the monument has been located at the Arab Museum of Modern Art in al-Rayyan in Qatar.

Now stay tuned to this section of Marco Materazzi biography as we want to share some information about his playing style.

Style of Play

Nicknamed Matrix, he was a central defender with a hard, rough and even foul play: this aspect often led him to have heated clashes with opponents, sometimes originating from provocations on the pitch. His tall stature, at around 1.95 meters, gave him considerable advantages in the aerial play: he was also notable for his ability to take set pieces (penalties and free kicks).

In fact, he holds the record for the most goals for a defender in a single Serie A championship: in the 2000-01 season, he scored 12 times, improving on Passarella's record who had scored 11 goals in 1985-86. He reached double figures of goals in two seasons.

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Reception

Despite playing his early years in the lower leagues of Italy, Marco Materazzi managed to make a name for himself in the Italian football, getting the Italy jersey and even winning the World Cup. Some pundits consider Materazzi to be one of the best defenders of his generation.

Goal Celebration

For a defender, Marco Materazzi has scored many goals during his career. However he never had a signature goal celebration, but one that he usually did after scoring goals was when he turned his back to the fans, showing his name and number to them.

Marco Materazzi outside Football

Between 2012 and 2013, he opened, first in Milan and then in Perugia, two small clothes shops in partnership with basketball player Stefano Mancinelli.

He also became a columnist in September 2012 for Gazza Offside, an online column edited by the Gazzetta.

He later voiced the character of Donny, who appeared in The Simpsons episode The Departed and aired in Italy on 29 November 2008.

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Marco Materazzi Personal Life

In this section of Marco Materazzi biography, we will take a deeper look into his personal life and share some information regarding

Marco Materazzi life story

and

Marco Materazzi religion

.

Family, Children and Relationships

Marco Materazzi was born in Lecce to Giuseppe Materazzi, at the time a footballer for the local team, and Anna Inzaina, both Sardinians. His mother was deceased on 30 August 1988.

He is the brother of Matteo, a sports agent born on 27 April 1976, and Monia. His sister Monia was widowed on 28 November 2011, after the death of her husband Maurizio Maestrelli (son of former coach Tommaso).

Marco Materazzi is married to Daniela since 23 June 1997, and they have three children named Anna, Gianmarco and Davide together.

Marco Materazzi is a basketball enthusiast, in his career he wore the number 23 in honor of former basketball player Michael Jordan.

Philanthropy

Marco Materazzi was actively involved in charitable works during his career as a player. In 2007, After securing the 15th Serie A title in the history of Inter, Marco Materazzi was trying to make Inter fans informed of a significant new charitable campaign to support everyone in need. Together with the Italian nun, Sister Albina, on Monday 30 April, Materazzi went on to the Italian TV show Le Iene to support a project to collect funds for the building of an orphanage in Tanzania.

He also participated in the "Friends of Libya's Children" charity match which was played on October 24, 2011, in Dubai. This match was organized to raise funds for Liberian children in partnership with Red Crescent.

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Legal Issues

In September 2009, he filed a lawsuit against the Manetti Bros, directors of the series L'ispettore Coliandro: in the episode 'Mai rubare a casa dei ladri' (broadcast on Rai 2 on 10 February 2009) the inspector Borromini (played by Massimiliano Bruno) describes the defender as "bastard", in his possession in fantasy football, for having received a red card.

Feeling offended by the expression, Materazzi asked for a compensation of one euro for each viewer of the episode (results about 2,300,000). In response, actor Giampaolo Morelli (star of the drama) declared that he had wanted to dedicate a tribute to the footballer and not to cause offence to him: the directors of the series also suggested to Materazzi to join the cast of the show, eliminating the "incriminated" scene.

Marco Materazzi Career Statistics

In this section of Marco Materazzi biography, we will take a deeper look into his career stats on international and also club level. Stay tuned.

Club

During his more than 20 years club career, Marco Materazzi has played a total of 491 matches in all competitions, scoring 58 goals, which is a great feat for a defender. After making a name for himself in Perugia, he moved to Inter and played a total of 276 matches and scored 20 goals before retiring from football.

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International

In a short international career between 2001 and 2008, Marco Materazzi played 41 matches for his country, scoring 2 goals. Both of his international goals were scored in the 2006 World, the most important of them in the final match against France.

Managerial

Between 2014 and 2016, Marco Materazzi was the manager and player of the Indian side of Chennaiyin. In 47 matches in charge, his team won 19 matches, drawn 12 and lost the remaining 16 matches. His win ratio there was 40.43 percent.

Marco Materazzi Honors

He has won all of his club career titles and awards with Inter, which include Serie A, Coppa Italia, Supercoppa Italiana, UEFA Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup.

On the international side, he has won the 2006 World Cup in Germany with his national team.

As a manager, Marco Materazzi has won the Indian Super League in 2015 with Chennaiyin.

Marco Materazzi has also won two individual titles and awards including Serie A Defender of the Year and ESM Team of the Year.

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