Marco Materazzi was on stage at the Festival dello Sport in Trento when he reached for the strongest word he could find for the France team that lost to Italy in Berlin.
“At the 2006 World Cup we faced aliens, but as you well know, in football it isn’t always the strongest who win,” he told the audience, as reported by Football Italia.
The Italian word Materazzi actually used was “marziani”, Martians, according to Il Napolista, and the sentiment landed with the same shrug of disbelief two decades on. France had Zidane, Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira and Lilian Thuram. Italy had Materazzi, a set-piece header and a penalty shootout.
Still answering the Zidane question
The former Inter defender admitted that the one incident everyone wants to talk about is the one he has stopped explaining.
Read also: Albon on 2027 F1: Agressive driving will be rewarded
“There’s nothing left to say about that episode, anyone who meets me in the street still asks me, ‘but what did you say to Zidane?’,” he said, according to the ANSA news agency.
The headbutt in the 110th minute of the Berlin final cost Zidane a red card and his last act in a France shirt as a player. Materazzi got up, Italy won the shootout 5-3, and the Italian defender has spent 20 years being asked the same question in the street.
‘Two Scudetti left on the road’ at Inter
Materazzi also tore into Inter’s recent near-misses, insisting the club he lifted five Serie A titles with should have more trophies in the cabinet.
“I’ve been saying for four or five years that Inter are the strongest, and we’ve probably also left two Scudetti on the road,” he said at the festival.
Read also: Cristiano Ronaldo ‘exploded’ after Jorge Jesus broke private promise
He pointed to the current side’s habit of recovering lost ground as proof the squad has not lost its edge. “When you go two goals down and overturn Napoli or Udinese, or catch Roma, it’s a sign of strength.”
France again, this time with Zidane on the touchline
Italy travel to the Stade de France on Friday night for a UEFA Nations League Group A1 fixture, with kick-off at 8:45pm local time, per the stadium’s own fixture page.
The home dugout is Zidane’s. The former France captain was appointed head coach on 28 July 2026 on a four-year deal, succeeding Didier Deschamps after France’s fourth-place finish at the World Cup. Friday’s game is his first home match in charge.
Materazzi’s verdict on the opponent waiting for Italy was less celestial, but no less respectful.
Read also: Real Madrid has found their replacement for Kroos
“I expect a tough, difficult match, because I think France are, along with Spain, the strongest team in the world for quality,” he said at the festival.
Read also: English FA signals action on Manchester City case: ruling has ‘significant implications’
