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Marco Materazzi

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Marco Materazzi
Personal information
Full name Marco Materazzi
Height 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Position(s) Defender
Team information
Current team Internazionale
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 09 July 2006

Marco Materazzi (born August 19, 1973 in Lecce) is an Italian football defender, who currently plays for Serie A club Internazionale Milano F.C., better known as Inter Milan. He was a part of the Italian team that won the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Materazzi is considered a tall, tough and hard working defender. Known mostly for his aggressive playing style, Marco Materazzi was a late bloomer.

Club

He spent his early career in the lower divisions of Italian football, playing for Tor di Quinto (1991-92), Marsala (1993-94), and Trapani (1994-95). Perugia, then in Serie B, signed Materazzi for the first time in 1995, but spent a part of the 1996-97 season at Serie C's Carpi, before coming back to Perugia.

Materazzi then spent 1998-99 with Everton (where he was sent off 3 times in just 27 games), before another stint with Perugia, now in the Serie A. He scored 12 goals in the 2000-01 season, breaking Daniel Passarella's Serie A record of most goals by a defender in one season. He was then signed by Inter for 10 million euros.

At Perugia, he was known for his accurate left-footed free kicks, but with so many good free kick takers at Inter, he never gets a chance to take one. Materazzi also excels in long passes to forwards. Materazzi is a significant part of the Inter defence and a key figure for them on the pitch. With Inter, he has won Coppa Italia twice; in 2005 and 2006. He has recently been provided with the opportunity to captain the side due to Javier Zanetti's injury.

Materazzi has also been involved in several controversial incidents during his time at Inter. He was suspended two months for punching Siena's Bruno Cirillo after a Serie A match. In the 2005-06 season, he was involved in a much discussed own goal that allowed Empoli to avoid relegation.

He signed a contract extension in summer 2006, exteneded the relation with club from 2009 to 2010.

International

His debut for the Italian national side came in 2001 as he played against South Africa. Since then Materazzi has competed in three major tournaments for Italy; playing at the 2002 World Cup, Euro 2004, and 2006 World Cup.

Materazzi has captained Italian national side on two occasions; in a friendly against Finland in November 2004 and another friendly against Iceland in March 2005.

2006 World Cup

Materazzi was a member of the Italian national team that won the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Materazzi wasn't intended as the first team player, but the injury of Alessandro Nesta allowed him to play a more important role.

He came as a substitute in Italy's game against the Czech Republic and scored the first goal of the game with a towering header after a corner kick. He devoted the goal to midfielder Daniele De Rossi, who had been sent off in the previous match for an elbow, described by Materazzi as a mistake. In the following match, the Round of 16, against Australia, he received a straight red card and was suspended for the next match.

He also featured prominently in Italy's World Cup Final game against France, first causing the penalty that put France ahead, then scoring a headed equalizer from a Pirlo corner kick.

Later in the game he was involved in an off-the-ball incident; he was headbutted in the chest by Zinedine Zidane. Zidane confirmed that Materazzi's insults had nothing to do with race or religion and that he sarcastically offered Materazzi his shirt, after Materazzi had pulled it. However, Zidane said that the insult targeted his sister and mother, but Materazzi denied this even though a professional Italian lip readers confirmed what was said. The official FIFA investigation fined Materazzi CHF 5000 and suspended him for two matches, while Zidane was fined CHF 7500 and suspended for three matches. On September 5, 2006 Materazzi admitted that he indeed insulted Zidane's sister. Zidane had offered Materazzi his shirt after the latter had pulled it. In an interview with Materazzi, he revealed the comment he made to Zidane. 'I replied to Zidane that I would prefer his sister, that is true. I brought up his sister and that wasn't a nice thing, that is true,' Furthermore, Materazzi claimed that he did not even know Zidane had a sister.

File:Zidane vrs Materazzi.gif
Zidane headbutting Materazzi

Materazzi went on to score Italy's second penalty in the shoot-out, which Italy won 5-3, to win the FIFA World Cup. By scoring two goals for Italy, Materazzi became top team goalscorer alongside with Luca Toni.

Trivia

Notes

  1. ^ Source: FIFA World Cup official site
  2. Repentant Materazzi cleans up his act, World Soccer, May 29, 2004
  3. Materazzi (Empoli - Inter) at YouTube
  4. Empoli 1-0 Inter Milan, Soccernet, April 30, 2006
  5. "First Italy goal was "divine justice", Materazzi". Reuters. 2006-06-22. Retrieved 2006-07-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. "Zidane and Materazzi fined and banned by FIFA". Reuters. 20 July 2006. Retrieved 2006-07-20. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. "Materazzi reveals details of Zidane World Cup slur". Reuters. 05 September 2006. Retrieved 2006-09-05. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

External links


Italy squad – 2002 FIFA World Cup
Italy
Italy squad – 2006 FIFA World Cup winners (4th title)
Italy
Inter Milan – current squad
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