Marco Materazzi interview: I’m ready to talk to Zinedine Zidane about 2006 World Cup final, Zlatan Ibrahimovic thought he was the best player

Exclusive interview with Marco Materazzi: I’m ready to talk to Zinedine Zidane about 2006 World Cup final, Zlatan Ibrahimovic thought he was the best player in the world but he wasn’t Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, you cannot compare Gianluigi Donnarumma to Gianluigi Buffon, Italy wouldn’t have a foreign manager like England

Speaking exclusively to LuckyBlock.com Inter and Italy icon Marco Materazzi has admitted that he hasn’t spoken to Zinedine Zidane since they clashed in the 2006 World Cup final – but insisted that he is happy to talk.

Materazzi has also discussed his rivalry with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and noted that the former Milan forward believed himself to be the best player in the world despite not being Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.

Materazzi has also praised Gianluigi Donnarumma while insisting that he shouldn’t be compared to Gianluigi Buffon and explained why Italy would never have a foreign manager like England because they have too many good coaches.

Q: Which three players have surprised you the most in Serie A this season?

MM: “The surprise players for me this season have been Nuno Tavares at Lazio, Francisco Conceicao at Juventus and I have to say Marcus Thuram because he has scored the most goals.”

Q: Who has under-achieved in Serie A this season?

MM: “For the biggest under-achievers, I’ll pick a team rather than a player. It’s Roma for me.

“They can do so much more with the team that they have and I think fans are right to be very disappointed at the moment.

“They sacked a manager last season who knows everything about football and maybe he saw what was coming there.”

Q: Which young players would you like to see in the Italy team?

MM: “A player who has really impressed me is Torino’s Samuele Ricci, he is a great player.

“He has a tough job following in the footsteps of Andrea Pirlo, Marco Verratti and Jorginho with Italy, but I think he has what it takes to do it.”

Q: How impressive is the job that Antonio Conte has done at Napoli?

MM: “Italy have some incredible managers and Antonio Conte is one of the best, look at what he did with Chelsea in the Premier League.

“He is one of the best and you can see that in how he turned Napoli around in just two months, they have good players but finished 10th in the table last season.

“He has changed the whole club mentally and look how important that has been.”

Q: What have you made of Thiago Motta since he arrived at Juventus?

MM: “Thiago Motta is doing okay at Juventus when you consider that he has only had three experiences as a manager before taking the job.

“He was the under 19 manager at PSG and then only a senior coach with Genoa, Spezia and Bologna.

“He has had to change his style at Juventus because first of all you have to win games quickly due to their recent history, but his philosophy is totally different to Massimiliano Allegri.

“Allegri won many titles with Juventus so we have to respect him, but they have two totally different philosophies and Thiago is the best good choice for Juventus right now because they have young players that they need to turn into champions and he can do that.”

Q: What is your opinion of the current Inter side under Simone Inzagi?

MM: “I want to see Simone Inzagi on the bench at Inter for many years to come, he could be Inter’s version of Sir Alex Ferguson.

“He has been at Inter for nearly four years after spending five years at Lazio and he is so well respected. He has a great group of players to work with.

“If he does leave then Inter should be looking at Pep Guardiola, maybe they could swap jobs, you never know in football.”

Q: Which club should Pep Guardiola join in Italy if he leaves Man CIty?

MM: “Pep Guardiola has won in Spain, Germany and England so maybe France or Italy is next for him, if it is in Italy it could be with Inter.”

Q: Can Inter win the Champions League this season?

MM: “Inter can win the Champions League this season because they have shown they have a mentality that works in Europe.

“They lost the final two years ago but right now the atmosphere in the stadium is really good and the new format might be their chance to change everything.

“Inter’s biggest competition in the tournament is Manchester City, they have injuries but those players are also resting, when they come back it might help them.”

Q: Who are the biggest club in Italy?

MM: “I have respect for Milan and Juventus, but the biggest club in Italy is Inter.

“It’s different with Inter, it’s a family. It’s not easy to explain but once you have been around the club you can feel it. I was there for 10 years and I don’t think there is anything else like it.”

Q: What are your thoughts around plans to leave the San Siro?

MM: “I hope they will never leave the San Siro. San Siro for me is the house of football. It has so much history and leaving will not be good for the club, they want to make more money but I think they can stay and use it for more events.

“It would be sad to leave because of all the memories, I think they should follow what Real Madrid have done with the Bernabeu. Maybe we can do it too? Why not?”

Q: Would you be happy if Italy had a foreign manager like England?

MM: “Italy wouldn’t have a foreign manager like England because our coaches are too good. We have only ever had Italian managers and England have already had Sven Goran Eriksson, Fabio Capello and now Thomas Tuchel.

“We have Antonio Conte, Carlo Ancelotti, we had Marcello Lippi in the past, there are too many to choose from.

“But England have really improved in the last six years and Thomas Tuchel is a good choice, they have reached two finals and they have so many good players at the moment.”

Q: Would you take Jose Mourinho as Italy manager?

MM: “Jose Mourinho could one day be Italy manager, you never know in football, but I think he’ll be Portugal manager first.”

Q: Is Gianluigi Donnarumma still Italy’s best goalkeeper?

MM: “You cannot compare Gianluigi Donnarumma to Gianluigi Buffon. Buffon is one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time and in my opinion he changed football.

“Donnarumma shouldn’t try to be Buffon, but he is still Italy’s best goalkeeper and will be in the position for many years to come. He isn’t Buffon but he has a great future.”

Q: Can Federico Chiesa still be a success at Liverpool?

MM: “I think Federico Chiesa decided to join Liverpool on the last day of the transfer market and it’s really not been easy.

“They have players like Mohamed Salah in the team, who is a legend of the club, it’s not easy for Chiesa to get appearances when they have been playing so well/

“He played so many games last season and I think he will have to wait for his moment. I do think that when he gets in the team he can have a big impact.”

Q: Would Lautaro Martinez be a success in the Premier League?

MM: “Lautaro Martinez has won the World Cup, Copa America, Serie A and hasn’t stopped over the past three years. He might not have as many goals as usual at the moment but he always helps the team.

“Lautaro can play in every league, Premier League, Bundesliga. He’s a world class player. 

“He is Inter’s captain and he’ll get back to being strong and fit and scoring goals. If I had a message for Premier League clubs it would be don’t come near our captain.”

Q: What is your current relationship with Zlatan Ibrahimovic?

MM: “As soon as I left the pitch my relationship with Zlatan Ibrahimovic was over, what happened happened and we both have our own lives and I’m happy now.

“I’m happy and I hope that he is happy too, that’s important for me.

“He always thought that he was the best player in the world, I didn’t agree. He was a big player because he scored many goals and won many titles, but he missed out in the World Cup and in the Champions League despite winning about 20 Scudettos.

“He was a big player and everyone knows his name but he wasn’t Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.”

Q: Have you spoken to Zinedine Zidane since the 2006 World Cup final?

MM: “I haven’t spoken to Zinedine Zidane since that day, I had never spoken to him before and have not spoken to him after. We don’t have a relationship.

“He is a legend of the game and I have a lot of respect for him as a player and a manager, winning three Champions Leagues in a row.

“I’m no longer looking for an apology but would happily have a conversation with him now that so many years have passed. There would be no problem.”

Q: Would any of the current Italy players get into the 2006 team?

MM: “I don’t think any of the current Italy players would get into the 2006 World Cup winning team, not at the moment.

“It’s a completely new generation but maybe that team wouldn’t be successful in the current game, things change so fast and it was so different back then.”

Q: Do Italy have the ability to win the 2006 World Cup?

MM: “I think Italy can win the 2026 World Cup under Luciano Spalletti, he now knows what he needs to do and has changed some players, his strategy and his philosophy too.

“The World Cup in the United States will not be easy and lots can change in two years, but I expect to see Italy in the semi-finals, whether they win it or not, who knows.”