Materazzi departed the club in July 2011 after not being given a new contract, having played about 270 games for the club and winning 15 trophies, and declared his retirement from the sport shortly afterwards. He was then appointed to the position of Internaional Ambassador.
Now aged 44, Materazzi is one of Europe's most experienced international footballers and has won the UEFA Champions League with Milan twice, as well as the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, Supercoppa Italiana and Coppa Italia with the club. He has also won the Serie A title with Milan.
Marco Materazzi made his debut for Italy against Sweden on 9 September 1995 and went on to win 80 caps, scoring seven goals. He announced his retirement from international football following Italy's exit at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Materazzi started out at Milan but never managed to establish himself in the first team there, making only 11 appearances over three seasons before being allowed to leave on a free transfer to Internazionale in 1998. He helped the club win its first ever UEFA Champions League title in 1999, before going on to win another two titles with Inter later that year and in 2002. He finished his career with Milan in 2004, having made 270 appearances for the club and scored 25 goals.
He subsequently returned to Perugia in 1999, where he scored 12 goals, including seven on penalties, in the 2000-01 season, surpassing Daniel Passarella's Serie A record for most goals by a defender in a single season. Inter Milan signed Materazzi for EUR10 million in July 2001. He made his debut in the opening game of the 2001-02 season against Parma and scored his first goal two weeks later against Sampdoria.
Materazzi is a well-known name in Italy and around the world due to his aggressive style of play. He has been banned several times during his career for insults and violent acts towards opponents. In addition to Italian football, Materazzi is known for his time with Cagliari and Naples.
Marco Materazzi was born on 3 April 1972 in Rome. His father Giuseppe was an amateur boxer who won the silver medal at the 1968 Olympics while his mother Rosa was a volleyball player. The family moved to Perugia when Marco was young so that his father could train at Umbria University. He started out as a midfielder but soon became a center back. In 1990, at the age of 18, he joined Perugia and helped them gain promotion to the top division. The following year, he moved to Juventus for €500,000. After one season, he moved to Internazionale for €3.5 million.
Materazzi scored an 89th-minute header against Roma on March 5, 2006, to earn his team a point and break the hosts' record of 11 straight triumphs. He concluded the 2005-06 season with 39 total appearances in all competitions. Materazzi signed a new deal with San Siro in August 2006, which kept him there until June 2010. The striker returned to his native country after three years in Italy, joining Palermo in July 2009.
Marco Materazzi played a key role for A.S.D. Sansepolcro as they reached the Coppa Italia final in 2001. That year he also helped the team win the Campionato Nazionale Prima Divisione (Italian First Division) title. Materazzi joined Milan in 2003 and was part of the team that won the Serie A championship that year. The following season, he helped them win their third consecutive Scudetto before leaving the club at the end of the season.
Materazzi has been called up by Italy several times but has never made an appearance due to international conflicts with UEFA rules. He is eligible to play for his country again after nine years.
Marco Materazzi's career statistics include 141 games and 49 goals in Serie A. (Campionato Italiano di Calcio - Italian Football Championship).
He has also played in China with Shanghai Shenhua and Dalian Shide.
Materazzi's contract expired at the end of the 2015 season, as he guided Chennaiyin to the Indian Super League championship. Materazzi's departure from the club was announced following the completion of the 2016 season. He finished his career with 176 appearances and 16 goals for the Blues.
Before joining Chennaiyin, Materazzi played for Milan and A.C. Milan. He has also had short spells with Parma and Brescia. Materazzi has been a member of Italy's national team since 2003, when he made his international debut in a friendly match against Sweden. He has been regularly selected since then, including several games this year. Materazzi is known for his aggressive play and ability to get forward. He is considered one of the best foreign players in the history of the Italian national team.
In 2012, Materazzi received a four-month ban from football after testing positive for a banned substance. The suspension was handed down by the Italian Football Federation after he participated in a charity match with former teammate Alessandro Del Piero without their clubs consent. Materazzi had joined Del Piero at AC Milan during his loan spell from Juventus.
He ended his international career after the 2014 World Cup, where Italy was eliminated in the group stage.
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