In an interview in the program Undici on Mediaset Premium, Marco Materazzi talked about Inter and much more: “Inter can win the Scudetto. It is understood that Juventus are the team to beat, the favorite. When analyzing the defeat against Atalanta people should take into account the shortage Stramaccioni had in defense, he was trying to do the impossible and when you don’t have two key players like Ranocchia and Samuel it’s not easy. Try removing Barzagli and Chiellini from Juventus. Especially Ranocchia has shown that he wants to evolve in terms of character: the first year, he did well, then he got to play less due to Lucio’s presence. Finally, the Brazilian decided to move to Juventus, where he moreover doen’t get to play, and set free Ranocchia who from the first game has shown his quality.”
Matrix is also a former Perugia player: “There are those who rejoice at the memory of May 5, 2002, when we lost the Scudetto with Inter in the last round in favor of Juventus, and there are those who rejoice when they remember May 14, 2000. I played with Perugia and we won against Juventus on an impossible pitch and caused them to lose the lead in the league. 2002 I cried with Ronaldo, two years before I made them do so, it’s football. Maybe, at Olimpico, we thought we had already won, we did not have the mentality.”
“The goal in the derby against Milan is one of the most beautiful. After years of insults to my mother, I let out my feelings against Milan’s supporters. I was sent off and received € 10,000 in fines. When I showed up in the sporting court to speak on my behalf, my lawyers told me to claim that my gesture in reality was not directed against Milan’s supporters. Instead, I said that it was and they gave me a discount, but the ban actually should have been lifted altogether. I also put on my mask of Berlusconi, but it was not to make a mockery of him. When I talked with the president on the phone we joked about it together, it was the press who criticized me and stuck to the description of me as they did throughout my career. Unfortunately, it was some idiot who wanted to use what I did as a source of controversy. But the mother of idiots is always pregnant, I have gotten used to it. The second fundamental moment in my career is the 2006 World Cup. We were not favorites, but we knew we could win: team spirit defeated all the adversity.”
During his career, Materazzi had many coaches. He started with Mancini: “Mancini is part of Inter’s history, although he almost always picked Sinisa Mihajlovic, even though he was not one hundred percent. Mourinho was number one. His secret was that he made everyone feel part of the project. In Madrid, when he told me he was leaving, I said to him: “Scew you, that leaves me with Benitez!” Joking aside, when he left, I knew we would not be the same. With Benitez I didn’t feel good. On my locker I had attached front pages of newspapers with the most important moments in my career: with Mourinho’s Inter and Lippi’s national team. He took them away, he thought he knew everything but a person who does something like that is afraid of his own shadow.”
Materazzi then analyzed Milan’s problems and Daniele De Rossi’s delicate time in Roma: “According to me, the Milan players are a little scared to play at home, with the pressures they are subjected to at the San Siro and, unfortunately for them, they do not have the quality required to get out of this. De Rossi made a mistake in the derby but has apologized. He is going through a difficult time. According to me, he should not even be treated as Tachtsidis. In August, he was not for sale and now the club evaluates any offer that may arrive.”
On his old teammate Walter Samuel: “He is an honest person, not very talkative, but he is a man. With him, I spoke the same language, even if we did not say much.”
On Stramaccioni: “Stramaccioni is very good because he has found the perfect formation for this Inter without changing the way they play, Als, Inter now have an identity and the fact that it came after the loss against Siena. Losing after ten straight wins, I think you have to react like he did, praising the opponents and not focus the discussion on the penalty, which according to me was correct. I say this as a defender. Mazzone said slipping defenders are dangerous defenders.”
During the celebration of the 2007 Scudetto Marco wore a white tuxedo, which attracted much attention: “It was a bet I made with a friend who is a stylist. Everyone spoke ill of me, but I’m proud of. Because I have always seen what happens in stadiums and have seen what happened in Turin. These are things that I keep to myself, all I have to say is that the tuxedo is a source of pride for me. It was not at all about narcissism.”
When he was asked to choose the team of his heart, Materazzi responded: “Julio Cesar, Maicon, Cannavaro, Materazzi and Chivu in defense. Gattuso, Stankovic and De Rossi in midfield with Cassano and Zidane behind Eto’o. Why Zidane? Because he has a place in my heart, he made me win the World Cup. I no longer think about the headbutt, just about the moment when I lifted the trophy. However, I would have liked to play with him, he is one of the five best in the world.”
Finally, regarding his future, Matrix says: “I’m an entrepreneur in the fashion world, but at the same time I am participating in coach education in Coverciano. In a few years, maybe the president buys it.”
Source: fcinternews.it