Marco "Matrix" Materazzi

[Frisko]

Spot on Jimmy, to be honest Matrix has kept his cool during this farce, and he's coming out of it extremely well.

The hilarious thing is that now whenever a player flips and assault somebody, the clubs will come out with all sorts of stories, every incident will become a major deal.

Matrix could have pressed charges for assault after what Zidane did, a friend of mine who's a Police Officer was just telling me today.

FIFA, you always manage to embarass yourselves, it's time for some new phuckin blood!

 

[Gaetan]

Unfortunately, there are even Inter fans who refuse to stand by Marco.

That is truly a shame, indeed.

Since when has Matrix been anything of value for Inter since his good season in 2001/2002?

I admit that I embraced his performances during the WC and felt all tingling and proud inside because an Interisti was playing so well, but that's where I draw the line in comparison to some of the others. I'll gladly admit that I was wrong about Matrix, but for Inter, he's always been a clown and a butcher and unless that changes in the near future, this is what he will always be remembered for by myself because I am first and foremost an Inter fan above all.

Now, tell me, how is that truly a shame? I will stand by a mature Marco that wins championships and scores goals on set pieces, but not the Marco that kicks Andriy Shevchenko in the balls, jumps on Inzaghi's back, adding nothing but shame and disgrace to our club's name when he dons the jersey.

It's as simple as that, really.

 

[Pi]

FIFA doesn't know what they are doing, this is giving Zidane a very, very special treatment, and when before did a player get condemned for insults (non racist insults)? I really think that FIFA is proving that they have too much power in their hands and they use it very unjustly.

 

[Hammoudi]

I criticized FIFA many times before, but at least they are doing something right.

FIFA has been pushing the moto 'Fair Play' for ages now and it's good that they are enforcing it.

You win games by your effort, not by diving, provoking opponents etc. What Materazzi did was wrong, provoking a player by severe insults isn't in the spirit of the game.

And no, I don't believe Materazzi but believe Zidane more. I am sure he directed some serious insults towards him, some of which we may never know (either Zidane doesn't want to say or FIFA doesn't want an international incident.)

Yes, I know that stuff like this happens, but just because it happens it doesn't make it right.

Now I hope FIFA does the next right thing in Fair Play and slap Cristiano Ronaldo with a month suspension for his ridiculous diving.

If they truly promote fair play, then diving has to go too. They can use video replays and ban lots of divers.

 

[kawe]

It was obvious that FIFA would punish Matrix. He hasn't done anything out of the ordinary but FIFA were desperate to salvage Zidane's image. Zidane was a great player but I have personally lost all my respect for him. Not because he lost his temper (that can happen to everybody that is put under such immense pressure) but because of the way he has handled this after the game. A great champion would have admitted he did something wrong and apologized to the person he assaulted. Instead he tried to blame his victim. Very sad that this great player has so little personality.

Everybody is entitled to their own opinion about Matrix. He is a very controversial player that (like Zidane) very often loses his temper and does crazy things. But please don't let your opinion about Matrix affect your opinion about this incident. It has been established by all of the implicated individuals that Matrix did not say anything racist. And it is a fact that everybody that has played any kind of competitive sport has experienced taunting and provocations by an opponent. Like it or not it is part of the mental game that is going on when you're competing.

There is a very big difference between physically attacking someone and verbally taunting someone.

 

[Jimmy]

So Hamed, do you seriously believe that FIFA will sanction a similar punishment in every single game that is played and continue their Fair play policy? I don't.

 

[Hammoudi]

So Hamed, do you seriously believe that FIFA will sanction a similar punishment in every single game that is played and continue their Fair play policy? I don't.

I hope so, but I don't think so.

FIFA has alot of money and should use technology to punish offenders. They should enforce each team/stadium that wants to be under FIFA to install cameras around the pitch and the stands.

This way divers and those who provoke opponents will be caught with a smoking gun and banned.

Also, those racist fans will be easily caught. Some people say a problem with punishing team based on racist fans is that some 'fake' fans would come and create trouble to harm the team.

If you enforce more surveillance, you can see if those fans are frequent, you can identify them and see where they live etc. to determine if they are fans. This is just one example I am using.

Soccer is losing alot of beautiful appeal due to diving, racism (btw, not referring to Materazzi here, talking more in general) etc. So it's time laws were enforced and complacency and saying things like 'Oh, it happens all the times, it's part of soccer etc. etc.' will not be a reason not to rid the game of filth.

 

[Michal]

Soccer is losing alot of beautiful appeal due to diving, racism etc.

Nobody of you think about punishing referees for bad decisions. France scored from penalty in WC final and it was 99,9% diving. The same happened 4 years ago in Korea/Japan and 8 years ago in France. What destroys football more? - diving or bad decisions???

 

[Hammoudi]

Referees that make mistakes are punished, who said they are not? Have you heared of Moreno(?) (the ref in italy-korea) officiating in big games since? Also, that ref that officiated Holland-Portugal was also suspended from the tournament.

P.S: That PK was 99.99% a dive??? No it wasn't, it was another regular needless Matrix PK. But that's not the subject here.

 

[Michal]

I am not sure but Moreno was punished in Ecuador for corruption...:|

 

[J zanetti]

Silly FIFA!

Fifa hits Materazzi hard

Italian defender banned for two games for "provocation"

Rob Smyth
Thursday July 20, 2006
Guardian Unlimited

'So if I do this to you, you'll get banned as well? Cool' Photograph:

The sanitation of football continues apace: now, it seems, even verbal provocation is unacceptable, after Fifa today banned Marco Materazzi for two matches for his part in Zinedine Zidane's infamous sending-off during the World Cup final.
Zidane's violent conduct inevitably produced a three-match suspension, which will come into effect should he come out of retirement, while he was also fined 7500 Swiss francs (£3260). Materazzi is 5000 Swiss francs (£2170) worse off.

While Materazzi admitted abusing Zidane, who retaliated with a vicious chestbutt, his suspension sets a dangerous precedent with regard to verbal provocation, which has hitherto been perceived as part and parcel of a man's game.
"In both of the players statements, the two players expressed regret over the incidents and presented their excuses to Fifa and the football community over what had happened," said the spokesman Andreas Herren. "They both stressed in statements that the verbal provocation was of an insulting nature but not - and I stress - of any racist nature."

In punishing Materazzi so strictly for the mundane sporting offence of "insulting" comments, Fifa has defenestrated norms and mores that have been part of football's fabric since time immemorial. And in doing so, they would appear to have opened a Pandora's Box: is sledging now banned? If not, what did Materazzi say that was so insulting as to demand punishment? Where is the line drawn? How can a line be drawn in an area that intrinsically produces the greyest shades?
Materazzi may be piqued at the decision, or he may see it as a blessing in disguise: depending on any unscheduled friendlies, it means he may miss the rematch between France and Italy in Paris on September 6. Zidane, for his part, will not be stripped of the Golden Ball he was awarded as the player of the tournament. "It was not even discussed," said Herren, with a forthrightness that could easily be construed as confirming Fifa's subscription to the prevalent mood of Zidane's victimhood. In doing so, and in hitting Materazzi so hard, Fifa has tweaked the footballing landscape in a way that could have significant repercussions.

 

[Waleed]

At least its decent to see some people jumping on the bandwagon now, enjoy the ride...:irritate:

BOOOOOO!! :thumbsdo:

Big thumbs down Helal. I have love for all Inter players, some less than others but please do not put me on any bandwagon cause the Materazzi one passed for me a long time ago and I turned the other way when it passed.

Do not confuse me defending him in the farce that is the Zidane situation to actually liking him as a player. To me he is in the right when it comes to the WC final incident and to be punished like he was for what is officially a non-racial provocatory insult is not only an abomination but down right disgraceful.

I have defended Materazzi in this situation since it began and you can check on that if you want. However with respect to him being a good player then I have different opinions that remain unchanged. Sure he had a stellar tournament, I have no problem admitting that as that is the truth. However as of yet I have yet to see him replicate that type of form (even with the same CB partner) for any extended period of time at Inter. As of right now he is still a very average defender to me and one good tourney with his national team is not going to change my mind.........unless he continues that type of play at Inter this season.

 

[Miki]

would i even care about what?

Would you even bother defending Materazzi if the tables were turned?

if you notice in my post i am saying I THINK like your are saying MY GUT OPINION,its a matter of opinion,i never said what zidane did was right and i never said he shouldnt be punished,but so does materazzi,he said something if it was racial,he should be punished,if it was mother related,then zidane was right to headbutt the guy,i woulld have,anyone would have.

What do you mean Zidane was right to headbutt the guy? That's barbarism! Violence as a measured response to verbal criticism has no place in society, let alone a football pitch.

Taunts and insults are part of daily life; you simply cannot go around punching someone for something they said.

It is simply, not right.

Where do we draw the line? According to you, if I insulted your mom, you have justifiable reasons to hit me.

Ergo, if I am to insult your entire family, shouldn't the response be equated exponentially? Should you shoot me?

I never said materazzi SAID something racial but i said i still think there is a posibillity that he did say something racial,maybe materazzi did say anything about blacks or white but he may have said something islamic,which to me is racial,you dont know for sure he did or didnt say that,thats why i said"I Still Think materazzi could have said something racial",i didnt say "materazzi said something racial"

Hmm. As I mentioned, if the tables were turned, would you be this sceptical with regards to the confessions of both players?

Like I said, this is how conspiracy theories form about.

Ciao,
Tim

 

[Miki]

Since when has Matrix been anything of value for Inter since his good season in 2001/2002?

What are you talking about?

This is a tangential argument that has nothing to do with the context of the argument at hand.

Whether Materazzi is deserved of punishment, and critique, for his role in the debacle is independent of his club form.

Ciao,
Tim

 

[Miki]

This punishment is a joke.

A precedent has been set, and FIFA must now uphold their stance with regards to on-field provocation.

They are now obligated to investigate each and every insult, regardless of an appropriated response.

Can anybody take FIFA seriously, these days?

Ciao,
Tim

 

[Choppin Onions]

BOOOOOO!! :thumbsdo:

Big thumbs down Helal. I have love for all Inter players, some less than others but please do not put me on any bandwagon cause the Materazzi one passed for me a long time ago and I turned the other way when it passed.

Do not confuse me defending him in the farce that is the Zidane situation to actually liking him as a player. To me he is in the right when it comes to the WC final incident and to be punished like he was for what is officially a non-racial provocatory insult is not only an abomination but down right disgraceful.

I have defended Materazzi in this situation since it began and you can check on that if you want. However with respect to him being a good player then I have different opinions that remain unchanged. Sure he had a stellar tournament, I have no problem admitting that as that is the truth. However as of yet I have yet to see him replicate that type of form (even with the same CB partner) for any extended period of time at Inter. As of right now he is still a very average defender to me and one good tourney with his national team is not going to change my mind.........unless he continues that type of play at Inter this season.

Great post Waleed! :star:

As much as I like helal and our other pro-Matrix friends, they'll defend Marco to the death thinking he's a stellar CD. He was immense for Italia but has he ever been anything better than average for Inter? In all my years of watching him, I'm afraid the answer is no. As of right now he's the 3rd option behind Samuel and Cordoba, though several would argue that he should be 4th. But that's a discussion for another day. :|

 

[Waleed]

I criticized FIFA many times before, but at least they are doing something right.

FIFA has been pushing the moto 'Fair Play' for ages now and it's good that they are enforcing it.

You win games by your effort, not by diving, provoking opponents etc. What Materazzi did was wrong, provoking a player by severe insults isn't in the spirit of the game.

And no, I don't believe Materazzi but believe Zidane more. I am sure he directed some serious insults towards him, some of which we may never know (either Zidane doesn't want to say or FIFA doesn't want an international incident.)

Yes, I know that stuff like this happens, but just because it happens it doesn't make it right.

Now I hope FIFA does the next right thing in Fair Play and slap Cristiano Ronaldo with a month suspension for his ridiculous diving.

If they truly promote fair play, then diving has to go too. They can use video replays and ban lots of divers.

I am getting increasingly frustrated with you over this Hamoudie. I can see your point on the promotion of fair play but there is no denying that this decision is ludacris. To punish someone for verbal provokation is insane by set ting this precedence FIFA have opened a massive can of worms. I better start seeing them going back through the tapes of the entire tourney and punishing everyone else that made a verbal taunt while on the field. If they want to innovate this new porition to the game then I want to see them enforce it in full on everyone not to specific "celebrity" type players only.

Good point about the divers but how about in addition to CR7 they include Henry on that list. The way he went down like a ton of bricks clutching his face when he and Puyol were battling for the ball was ridiculous. Anyone remember what the FK from that very incident in the final 10 mins of the game led to?

 

[catanha]

what an International disgrace, we have the player who has been given a ban for what he verbally said in the World Cup final, I feel so embarassed, and to think, he only got a 2 match ban because of he verbally abused Zidanes family, god, if Zidane had brought up the real racist comments, we'd have a catastrophy....

Materazzi, you dope!

 

[Gaetan]

What are you talking about?

This is a tangential argument that has nothing to do with the context of the argument at hand.

Huh?

Tim, you claim that it's a shame that even Inter supporters do not support Matrix (or do you mean just Hamed? LOL)

I do not understand this. Are we suppose to support a player who's arguably done more harm then good for Inter? Like, blind love just because he wears our shirt?

If this is your point, I disagree. Get what I am talking about?

 

[Waleed]

what an International disgrace, we have the player who has been given a ban for what he verbally said in the World Cup final, I feel so embarassed, and to think, he only got a 2 match ban because of he verbally abused Zidanes family, god, if Zidane had brought up the real racist comments, we'd have a catastrophy....

Materazzi, you dope!

Catanha I want to ask you a point blank question and I want you to answer me truthfully with whatever sources you have without resorting to hearsay evidence. What in the world makes you insist that what the words exchanged between the two was of a racist nature? Materazzi has denied, Zidane has said that the insult concerned his family, all but confirming that a racist remark was not made. Add that to the fact that the FIFA representative came out today and said in an offical statement that the two apologized to each other and that the insult included nothing that was racist in nature, going on to stress this point.

If you have any credibility left show me some evidence besides some second hand tales from crack pot lip readers that confirm beyond a reasonable doubt that the insult made was racial in nature. If you can not prove it which I am almsot sure you will cant then shut the hell up and quit the lying you are just making yourself look like a jackass.