Marco Materazzi facts for kids

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Marco Materazzi

Materazzi before a Legends Cup match in 2020
Personal information
Full name	Marco Materazzi
Date of birth	(1973-08-19) 19 August 1973 (age 51)
Place of birth	Lecce, Italy
Height	1.93 m
Playing position	Centre back
Youth career
1988–1990	Lazio
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1990–1991	Messina	1	(0)
1991–1993	Tor di Quinto	12	(0)
1993–1994	Marsala	25	(4)
1994–1995	Trapani	13	(2)
1995–1998	Perugia	47	(7)
1996–1997	→ Carpi (loan)	18	(7)
1998–1999	Everton	25	(1)
1999–2001	Perugia	51	(15)
2001–2011	Inter Milan	184	(18)
2014	Chennaiyin	7	(0)
Total		383	(55)
National team
2001–2008	Italy	41	(2)
Teams managed
2014–2016	Chennaiyin (player-manager)
Honours Men's football Representing  Italy FIFA World Cup Winner 2006 Germany
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Marco Materazzi (born August 19, 1973) is a famous Italian former football player and manager. He was known for being a strong centre-back.

Early in his career, Materazzi played for many Italian teams. He also played for Everton in England. He became very well known playing for Inter Milan. With Inter, he won many important trophies. These included five Italian league titles in a row, the UEFA Champions League, and the FIFA Club World Cup.

Marco also played 41 times for the Italian national team. He played in two World Cups and two European Championships. He was a key player when Italy won the 2006 FIFA World Cup. In the final match, he scored a goal and also scored in the penalty shootout.

Materazzi was known for his very physical and tough style of defending. This meant he often received yellow and red cards during games.

Marco Materazzi's Football Journey

Starting His Career

Marco Materazzi began playing football in youth teams like Lazio. From 1990 to 1991, he was with Messina Peloro. He spent his early career playing in the lower divisions of Italian football.

He played for amateur team Tor di Quinto from 1991 to 1992. Then he joined Marsala (1993–94) and Trapani (1994–95). With Trapani, he almost helped them get promoted to Serie B.

First Time at Perugia

Perugia Calcio signed Materazzi for the first time in 1995. He played there for a few seasons. In the 1996–97 season, he also spent some time playing for Carpi.

Playing in England with Everton

In 1998, Materazzi moved to England to play for Everton. He played 27 games for them in the 1998–99 season. He scored two goals during his time there.

Back to Perugia

He returned to Perugia in 1999. In the 2000–01 season, he scored 12 goals. This was a record for a defender in one Serie A season.

Time at Inter Milan

Winning Trophies with Roberto Mancini

In July 2004, Roberto Mancini became the manager of Inter Milan. At first, Materazzi did not play as much. But in the next season, he played more often.

On March 5, 2006, Materazzi scored a late goal against Roma. This helped Inter get a draw and stopped Roma's winning streak. He played 39 games in the 2005–06 season.

In August 2006, Materazzi signed a new contract with Inter until 2010. In the 2006–07 season, he scored 10 goals. This made him the highest-scoring defender in Serie A. He scored in a big derby match against Milan. He also scored two goals against Siena on April 23. These goals helped Inter win their 15th league title. Because of his great play, Materazzi was named the Serie A Defender of the Year.

Materazzi during a training session

Materazzi missed the start of the 2007–08 season due to an injury. He returned in November 2007. In a 2007–08 UEFA Champions League match against Liverpool, he got a red card. Inter lost that game 2–0. Later, he missed a penalty kick against Siena. Inter still won the league title for the third time in a row. Materazzi played 33 games that season.

More Success and Final Years

In 2008, José Mourinho became Inter's manager. Materazzi did not play as often under Mourinho. He also had some injuries. He scored his first UEFA Champions League goal on November 4, 2008. Inter won their 4th league title in a row on May 17, 2009. Even though he played less, the club president praised him.

Materazzi in action for Inter

In June 2009, Materazzi signed a new deal until 2012. He played 20 games in the 2009–10 season. In January 2010, he had knee surgery. Materazzi came on as a substitute in the 2010 UEFA Champions League Final. Inter won the match 2–0 against Bayern Munich. Inter also won the league title and the Coppa Italia that season. This meant they won the "Treble" (three major trophies).

He started the 2010–11 season by playing in the Supercoppa Italiana match. Inter won 3–1 against Roma. In November, he started in a derby match against Milan. He was injured during that game but returned two weeks later. In December, Inter won the 2010 FIFA Club World Cup. This was their fifth trophy that year.

Materazzi left Inter Milan in July 2011. He had played about 270 games and won 15 trophies. He then announced he was retiring from playing football.

Playing and Managing in India

On September 22, 2014, Materazzi became a player-manager for Chennaiyin in India. This was for the first season of the Indian Super League. He signed a two-year contract.

He did not play in the first match, which Chennaiyin won. Six days later, Chennaiyin won their first home game. Materazzi played his first game for Chennaiyin on November 2, 2014. He helped them win 5–1. Chennaiyin finished first in the league that season. They were later knocked out in the semi-finals of the play-offs.

In the 2015 season, Materazzi led Chennaiyin to win the Indian Super League championship. His contract ended after that season. In 2016, it was announced that he would not return to the club for 2017.

Materazzi's International Career

First Games and 2002 World Cup

Materazzi played his first game for the Italian national team on April 25, 2001. It was a friendly match against South Africa, which Italy won 1–0. He played in two qualifying games for the World Cup.

In the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Materazzi was a reserve player. He played in one game against Croatia.

UEFA Euro 2004

Materazzi was chosen for the UEFA Euro 2004 tournament. He started in Italy's last group game against Bulgaria. Italy won 2–1, but they were still knocked out of the tournament.

He played his first game as captain for Italy on November 17, 2004. It was a friendly match against Finland.

2006 FIFA World Cup Victory

Materazzi in 2006, during the FIFA World Cup in Germany

Materazzi was part of the Italian squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He started as a reserve player. But when Alessandro Nesta got injured, Materazzi came on as a substitute. He scored a goal against the Czech Republic and was named Man of the Match.

In the next game against Australia, he received a red card. He was suspended for the quarter-final match.

In the final against France, Materazzi gave away a penalty. France scored from it. But then, Materazzi scored a goal to tie the game for Italy. Later in the game, he had a confrontation with Zinedine Zidane. Zidane was given a red card. The game went to a penalty shootout. Materazzi scored Italy's second penalty. Italy won the World Cup by beating France 5–3.

After the final, there was a lot of talk about what happened between Materazzi and Zidane. Materazzi was fined and banned for two matches by FIFA. Materazzi was one of Italy's top scorers in the tournament with two goals.

UEFA Euro 2008

Materazzi played regularly during the Euro 2008 qualifying games. In the UEFA Euro 2008 tournament, he started in the 3–0 loss to the Netherlands. This was his last game for Italy. He played a total of 41 games and scored two goals for Italy.

How Marco Materazzi Played

Materazzi was a strong and tough centre-back. He was known for marking opponents closely. Many coaches, like Marcello Lippi and José Mourinho, thought he was one of the best defenders of his time.

He was also good at scoring goals as a defender. He was very good at heading the ball, especially from corner kicks. He even set a record for most goals by a defender in a Serie A season. Materazzi could also take good free kicks and penalty kicks. He had good technical skills and could pass the ball well. During his time at Inter, fans called him Matrix.

Materazzi was known for his physical and aggressive style of play. He received many yellow and red cards during his career. He was sometimes involved in arguments with other players. Because of his tough style, he was listed as one of the 50 hardest footballers in history by The Times.

Marco Materazzi's Life Outside Football

Marco Materazzi was born in Lecce, Italy. His father, Giuseppe Materazzi, was also a professional footballer and coach. Marco's mother passed away when he was 15 years old.

In September 2007, he released his autobiography. It was called "Una vita da guerriero," which means "The Life of a Warrior."

On June 23, 1997, Materazzi married Daniela. They have three children named Anna, Davide, and Gianmarco.

Career Statistics

Club Games

Source:

International Games

Source:

Italy score listed first, score column indicates score after each Materazzi goal.

International goals by date, venue, cap, opponent, score, result and competition

No.	Date	Venue	Cap	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	22 June 2006	Volksparkstadion, Hamburg, Germany	29	Czech Republic	1–0	2–0	2006 FIFA World Cup
2	9 July 2006	Olympiastadion, Berlin, Germany	32	France	1–1	1–1 (5–3 p)	2006 FIFA World Cup

Managerial Record

All competitive league games (league and domestic cup) and international matches (including friendlies) are included.

Team	Nat	Year	Record
			G	W	D	L	Win %
Chennaiyin		2014–2016	&&&&&&&&&&&&&047.&&&&&047	&&&&&&&&&&&&&019.&&&&&019	&&&&&&&&&&&&&012.&&&&&012	&&&&&&&&&&&&&016.&&&&&016	&&&&&&&&&&&&&040.43000040.43
Career Total			&&&&&&&&&&&&&047.&&&&&047	&&&&&&&&&&&&&019.&&&&&019	&&&&&&&&&&&&&012.&&&&&012	&&&&&&&&&&&&&016.&&&&&016	&&&&&&&&&&&&&040.43000040.43

Honours and Awards

As a Player

Inter Milan

• Serie A: 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10
• Coppa Italia: 2004–05, 2005–06, 2009–10, 2010–11
• Supercoppa Italiana: 2005, 2006, 2010
• UEFA Champions League: 2009–10
• FIFA Club World Cup: 2010

Italy National Team

• FIFA World Cup: 2006

Individual Awards

• Serie A Defender of the Year: 2007
• ESM Team of the Year: 2006–07
• Inter Milan Hall of Fame: 2021

As a Manager

Chennaiyin

• Indian Super League: 2015

Special Awards

• 
  CONI: Golden Collar of Sports Merit: 2006
• 
  4th Class / Officer: Ufficiale Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana: 2006

See also

In Spanish: Marco Materazzi para niños