Marco Materazzi

Lore & Background

Materazzi began his footballing career with the Lazio and then the Messina Peloro youth teams from 1990 to 1991. He spent his early career in the lower divisions of Italian football, with amateur side Tor di Quinto, Serie C2 team Marsala, and Serie C1 Trapani. He signed for Inter Milan in 2001 for €10 million. At club level, he won 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. He earned 41 caps for Italy from 2001 to 2008, playing in two FIFA World Cups and two UEFA European Championships. He was a key player in the 2006 FIFA World Cup Final, scoring Italy's equalising goal and later scoring in the penalty shoot-out as Italy won the World Cup.

Reader's Guide

Materazzi played with various Italian teams in Serie D, Serie C, and Serie B, and with Everton in the Premier League. He spent two periods with Perugia. He played around 270 games for Inter and announced his retirement shortly after leaving the club in 2011. He came out of retirement in 2014 when he was appointed player-manager of Chennaiyin in the Indian Super League.

Did You Know?

• Materazzi broke Daniel Passarella's Serie A record for most goals by a defender in one season, scoring 12 goals in 2000–01.
• He was sent off three times in just 27 games during his 1998–99 season with Everton.
• In the 2006 World Cup final, he gave away an early penalty, scored Italy's equaliser, and received a headbutt from Zinedine Zidane.
• Materazzi was suspended for eight club matches and one international match after punching Siena player Bruno Cirillo in 2004.