Marco "Matrix" Materazzi

[Ronin]

Yeah, he got played by Materazzi like a god damn violin.

 

[Zlatan4life]

Today is the 10th anniversary of when Zinedine Zidane (in his last career match) headbutted Marco Materazzi during World Cup Final 2006

 

[Bob Sacamano]

 

[firmino]

Lol I did the very same thing at the museum in Oslo. But I guess a lot of people do this

 

[M.Adnan]

Lol I did the very same thing at the museum in Oslo. But I guess a lot of people do this

The difference is that he's doing it for Galliani.

 

[Javier Zanetti]

I've seen a picture of his FIFA 17 UT legend card, would be awesome if that's true, there was also one for Veron

 

[Provenzano]

Happy Bday Matrix !

 

[Il Drago]

I saw this article on Football Italia about Matrix and i wanted to share it with the forum members. Happy Birthday Matrix!


Matrix re-evaluated

Marco Materazzi tends to be seen as a hero or villain, but on the occasion of his birthday, Susy Campanale sees him as a bit of both.

The best movie villains are the ones you love to hate, while only the greatest cinema heroes have the layers to make you question their judgement at times. Marco Materazzi, who turns 43 today, fits the bill perfectly as an Italian football anti-hero.

It’s not easy for a man to be viciously head-butted in the chest on live television and still come out of it treated like the guilty party. Matrix joked he loved Zinedine Zidane, as that incident towards the end of the Final paved the way to the 2006 World Cup triumph, but in truth it must’ve irked him to see the Frenchman consoled, excused and generally treated as the victim. The provocation was rude, but nowhere near bad enough to warrant such a reaction. The fact Zidane had a history of head-butting people and a previous World Cup ban for stamping on a Saudi player’s chest was conveniently forgotten.

After all, Materazzi is the player people loved to portray as a villain. He’s no Saint, that’s for sure, as he took ‘rugged’ defending to the very limits and occasionally beyond. As he himself confessed, he didn’t have the quality of a Fabio Cannavaro or style of Alessandro Nesta, so had to make up for his short-comings with sheer determination and the occasional elbow in the ribs.

“Materazzi is fortunate they didn’t have so many TV cameras in those days, because he did things we can’t even discuss,” slammed ex-Torino and Milan striker Gigi Lentini. “He is not a football player.”

Yet would Italy have won the 2006 World Cup without Materazzi? Would Inter have achieved the Treble in 2010 if not for the only man who could match Jose Mourinho for determination? He’s the kind of player who is easy to hate when in opposition, but that’s because you’d rather have him on your side.

It’s hard to dislike Materazzi when you read his autobiography, the story of a man who had more than his fair share of setbacks and heartache. His father was a successful Coach, but considered young Marco to be ‘too tall to be a professional football player’ and advised he get into basketball instead. His mother died when he was only 15 years old and some particularly vicious ultras have been known to aim chants referencing this in his direction.

Long before he was Matrix, the centre-back learned the Dark Arts of defending in the lower leagues, where various levels of cheating were commonplace and the referee wouldn’t help you. “If you wanted justice, you had to get it for yourself.” At least that’s one thing he agrees with Zidane about.

It’s telling that Materazzi cites Zidane’s arrogance, looking him up and down, as the reason for his angry reaction in that World Cup Final. This is a man who proudly describes himself as a ‘Terrone’ – the insulting term for Southern Italians – and tells his children to describe their father as a professional brick-layer or taxi driver.

Rough, tough and proud of it, he’s the man you want on your side, because someone’s got to do the dirty work and cut through the false niceties. Who can forget that scene after the Champions League Final when Mourinho stopped the car, got out and embraced Materazzi in a sobbing hug? They are two peas in a pod, football men who do what needs to be done, whether it’s beautiful or damn ugly.

Now 43-year-old Materazzi is working as a Coach in the Indian Super League with Chennaiyin. It’s a fitting environment for him: humble, hard-working, unspoilt and played for the love of the sport rather than money. Happy birthday, Matrix.

 

[Nero Indigo]

I can't believe it was Campanale that wrote that: She's a Milanista. I have to give her props for doing such a piece, she's been very chill as of late. Nice one Susy! Happy Birthday Matrix!

 

[DARi0]

AUGURI MARCO

 

[Stefan]

Happy bday Matrix.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

Already posted.

 

[Javier Zanetti]

What a guy

 

[kameru]

I can't believe it was Campanale that wrote that: She's a Milanista. I have to give her props for doing such a piece, she's been very chill as of late. Nice one Susy! Happy Birthday Matrix!

Yeah if I not wrong, she's the one Mourinho called as intelectual prostitute

 

[DARi0]

Miss the real #23

 

[A.l.i]

 

[kameru]

I remember him wearing Black boot in one foot & Blue boot in another foot. Respect!

 

[ScottishInterista]

My first thought was who the fuck gets a tattoo of a Nike logo on his chest

 

[Black Knight]

My first thought was who the fuck gets a tattoo of a Nike logo on his chest

To be fair, that's not far from the skin tone of white Scots.

 

[ScottishInterista]

To be fair, that's not far from the skin tone of white Scots.

never heard of the infamous glaswegian saying "Tapps Aff" whenever it goes over 15 degrees then