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Marco Materazzi Interview: Zidane Headbutt, Zlatan Rivalry, Byron Moreno, Inzaghi To Arsenal & More (Ep. 472)
2 Playsin 48 minutes
The Italian Football Podcast is delighted to interview Inter Milan and Azzurri FIFA World Cup Champions Marco Materazzi.
From the infamous Zinedine Zidane headbutt in final of FIFA World Cup 2006, Simone Inzaghi as next Arsenal or Man City coach, rivalry with AC Milan legend Zlatan Ibrahimovic, THAT hug with José Mourinho after Champions League win in 2010, Byron Moreno refereeing scandal in FIFA World Cup 2002 and much more.
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Transcript
Introduction & Guest Announcement
00:00:03
Speaker
Welcome to the Italian Football Podcast. Hello everybody and welcome to another episode of the Italian Football Podcast. I'm Carlo Garganese. Earlier today, Nima and myself were delighted to welcome onto the show a legend of Italian football, someone who gave us all so many happy memories.
00:00:22
Speaker
during the summer of 2006. He played a crucial role in Italy winning the World Cup that summer and also spent 10 memorable years at INSA where he won multiple titles and that famous treble in 2010 under Jose Mourinho. He was also one of the hardest and toughest defenders of his generation, someone who never dodged a challenge or a headbutt. I am of course talking about Marco Materazzi.
Materazzi's Iconic Moments & Relationships
00:00:53
Speaker
We spoke about a lot of interesting things on our podcast today. We spoke about his relationship with Mourinho, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the 2006 World Cup, that headbutt from Zidane,
00:01:07
Speaker
the 2002 World Cup and the the infamous Ecuadorian referee, Baidon Moreno. And we also spoke a lot about Inter as well, about Simone and Zagim potentially moving to the Premier League, about Inter's chances of winning the Champions League, the Scudetto and much, much more. So I think you're going to enjoy it. Here is our interview with Marco Materazzi.
00:01:29
Speaker
Ciao Marco, thank you for
Controversies & Rivalries
00:01:31
Speaker
joining us. um You played for Perugia in that famous game where Juventus lost a square in 2000 and Lazio won it. What do you say to Juve fans who complain that the game should never have been played? I don't know, it was a tough game because for us, just the last game for them was the big game.
00:01:56
Speaker
Anyway, we we did our job as a professional player. They tried to win, but you know what's happened. In enough time, rain too much was perfect for us because there there was very much better than than us. But you know in football, you never know.
00:02:19
Speaker
true and then if we move forward to 2010 when you beat Bayern Munich by munich to beat the cha to win the Champions League there's this famous video of you and Jose Mourinho in the streets of Madrid where you're hugging I mean what's the story behind that and and and do you can you share what you guys said to each other?
00:02:39
Speaker
I was a hungry with him because he left ah from us. I know ah I'm sure with him we can win many titles in a row in 2011, but he decided to leave from me after the game. ah The last two weeks before the game,
00:03:05
Speaker
i ah going the into the the office, Jose's office, to pay him to stay with us, because for us as a family, ah you know, you you can see Jose as a strong ah person, but he's really very nice because he created ah a lot of empty in and the locker room. That is very important for a team to to become champion for me. so But he never saw me in my eyes in these two weeks and I understood everything before the the final.
World Cup Memories & Reflections
00:03:52
Speaker
Of course, which you won. and So I want to ask you about Zlatan Ibrahimovic. You had a big rivalry in your career as as teammates and also as opponents. um And also after you know you've had some back and forth in the media, what is your relationship with Zlatan today? and And how do you think he's doing as a director, as a director at Milan?
00:04:16
Speaker
At the moment I don't have a relationship with him, but it doesn't matter, it's not a big problem for me, for him too, because we have our life.
00:04:27
Speaker
And, you know, a what's happened and the into the pitch, rest into the pitch for me, no problem. a peace to He thinks he's ah the best player in the world. He's not my my opinion, but he's a big, big ah player for me because in history he scored many goals.
00:04:54
Speaker
He won many titles, maybe not very important titles because, you know, he lost the Champions League's World Cup, European Cup, but he won maybe 20 Scudetto, no? He's a big big player. He's a crack. He's not Messi, he's not Ronaldo, but he's not any very much. In the future, every every people knows him.
00:05:22
Speaker
Yeah, for sure. um I want to ask you about Baidon Moreno, the the Ecuadorian referee the the in the 2002 World Cup that refereed Italy's match against South Korea. um Now he's become infamous with all Italy fans around the world. Do you and your Italy teammates from 2002 believe the conspiracy theories about Marina that maybe He wanted it to be told. I don't know if he's still in in the prison, no? He has a big problem. Maybe more than Italy, Cora, Cora the game.
00:06:01
Speaker
but you know In my opinion, that national team yeah was was the best than 2006. Maybe we don't have a pillow at that time.
00:06:16
Speaker
But in my opinion, this Italian team was much better than 2006. But you know what's happened. ah Maybe we deserve to to go ahead after that game. But Baro Morin was ah as a joker or for them, no? No. And after the game finished, we're back home. And then we restart to improve to to be better for the next worker.
00:06:47
Speaker
Yeah, for sure, which Italy won. and Sorry to ask you about the Zidane headbutt. I know everybody asks you about it, I'm sorry. But um the before the headbutt happened, everyone knows what happened, we're the two of you arguing a little bit already during the game before that. And also, if Zidane hadn't been sent off, do you think Italy still would have won on penalties?
00:07:11
Speaker
You never know. what happened with him or without him because it was it was a final. It got red card just 15 minutes maybe before the final, the game over.
00:07:37
Speaker
And then I don't like to remember that because in my opinion, you have to remember me about two goals scored in the World Cup final. I don't know if how many defender players scored two goals.
00:07:54
Speaker
in the final. So that was a very important. So maybe he can score the the penalty, but my opinion too was 3CK, one of the best ah penalty kicker in that game. But it was unlucky because imagine if he scores, we draw and then we have more penalty to shot, but know maybe the Destiny 1, the Italian one that woke up. Absolutely.
Coach Speculations & Player Performances
00:08:32
Speaker
Simon Inzagi, let's talk about Serie A now, and I want to talk a little bit about Simon Inzagi, who's been linked with Premier leagues move premier League moves this summer.
00:08:40
Speaker
Do you agree that Simon Inzaghi is the Italian coach currently whose football is most suited to the Premier League and which club do you think would suit him the best? I don't know, you know, Jaime Inter fans. I hope he stays in Inter because his job is not finalised yet. I think his profile is a good profile for the Premier League maybe Okay, Artheta is ah one of the best now in Arsenal, but for me, to for for for Simone, for Manchester United too.
00:09:31
Speaker
Why not Manchester City? Because, you know, the problem at the moment, a nobody knows ah what Pep will do. so But I hope Simone stays with me, but I'm not his manager. I'm not his friend. I'm not the i'm mean i'm his friend ah because we played against, but and we have a good good relationship. but You know, I can't decide on his side.
00:10:08
Speaker
um Are you a fan of Alessandro Bonjorno? And do you think Inter should have tried harder to sign him last summer, given that Acherbian defies their age and expiring contracts? I was in San Siro. I watched the game. It was an impressive game from Bonjorno.
00:10:31
Speaker
because 1-1 against Turram. Turram is a strong pass and for Bonjour it was easy to to catch him. But you know how much Napoli paid for him? Maybe 40 million.
00:10:49
Speaker
now now minimum they want. I don't think double, but 60, and if Antonio Conte stays in Naples, maybe Bonjourno will Naples, because Naples is ah is a good team, good club. But, you know, okay, Acherbi is 56, 57 years old, but last game was, no, was man of the match.
00:11:18
Speaker
because Lukaku didn't touch a ball in that game. So, a for me, the age is ah is ah not is important, but it's not ah very important. It doesn't matter. His own feet, he can pay till 38, 39. Why not? But we will see. At the moment, Achebi is ah one of the best defenders in Italy.
00:11:43
Speaker
Absolutely, it's hard to argue with that given how many world-class strikers he's put in his pocket in the last year. Roland two. Yeah, Roland two twice, not one.
Rapid-fire Career Highlights & Predictions
00:11:54
Speaker
um Just to finish off, we play this rapid-fire game where we ask you some quick fun questions and all you need if you want is one word answer. Yeah. Okay, so the first one is do you think... Best team, best ever teammate.
00:12:14
Speaker
in Teammates. Teammates, yeah. It's not easy because I was lucky. I played with the all of the best. I told him little bit about Joe. But I chose Stankovic because he was my team mate and my room mate too. So for 10 years. I love him as my friend my brother. Your brother, yeah. Toughest opponent?
00:12:45
Speaker
a Ronaldo, phenomenal. Who was your football idol growing up? Van Basten. Van Basten. I know, it was a Milan. Milan, yeah. But for me, it was was was the best at the moment. I was going to say, Italy winning the World Cup in 2006 or Inter winning the treble in 2010? What makes you happier?
00:13:13
Speaker
and I have a question for you. You love more, you're dead, you're your man. Good one, I like that. I was fantastic in 2006 because there was one on the pitch, into the pitch, I played the final. But for me, 2010, after 10 years in Inter, after we lost, won Scudetto in the last game in a row.
00:13:41
Speaker
And then, at the moment, we never know if we have a new chance to to win. And then, me, Zannetti, Kordo and Toldo, we are together in Madrid. That was fantastic for me. was It was unbelievable. um who Who will win the Scurrito this season?
00:14:01
Speaker
It's very tough questions because I hope Pinta, because my opinion is the best. They play very well, better than all team, but Naples is not easy. For me, Naples are oriented because Naples, they don't play the European Cup. They play only one game a week. Conte is a very good manager. He's strong.
00:14:31
Speaker
ah Both of the the team, they can win for me. Final question, can Inter win the Champions league League season and if not, who will win it? They have a good chance to win because they a score and maybe 11 goals in the group. At ma the they didn't concern goal.
00:15:00
Speaker
the opponent, they were very ah strong. I hope they will win because we lost the final in Istanbul two years ago and last year we were unlucky in Madrid because we maybe we deserve to win ah with more goals in San Siro but we lost in ah in Madrid after we scored the first goal with DiMarco.
00:15:28
Speaker
But if Inter don't win the the champion, I think... CT. I see CT because ah now they are very ah they they have a lot of problems, many injuries.
00:15:52
Speaker
And then now in the injuries we can rest and then we restart in good fit. So hopefully Inter fans will wear your famous smoking Bianco at the end of the second round. I hope.
00:16:12
Speaker
thank you thank you so much marica thank you guys sorry mar sorry for my english but next i will be better but but so the mail you kill me italiano da okay yeah were not bra church out