Eccentric Italian defender Matteo Materazzi remembers eating one-pot meals with Choi Sung-hwan during his time at Perugia.
Materazzi visited Korea in advance of an event match in October, and he had a lot to say at a press conference at the Yeouido Fairgrounds Ambassador in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, at 11 a.m. on Tuesday. Materazzi was accompanied by other big stars, including Fabio Cannavaro and Ronaldinho.
Materazzi has a history with South Korea, but not a good one: he was part of the team that lost 1-2 to South Korea in the round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup in Korea-Japan. Materazzi watched the defeat from the bench alongside Cannavaro, who said, “I’ve been here once before and it’s not a pleasant memory.”
He also has a bad history with Chung. The two players had a falling out in Perugia from 2000 to 2002.
“When I was playing for Italy, the captain, Materazzi, said I smelled like garlic. Even now, I feel hot and bothered. He was a strange player,” he once said. In many ways, he has a bit of a history with South Korea.
Materazzi, himself, still remembers the player. “He was a good player, but I don’t have a very good memory of him because we beat Italy in the World Cup,” he said briefly.
Materazzi was an eccentric, as Stefan said. During the 2006 World Cup final against France in Germany, he got on Zinedine Zidane’s nerves with some harsh words. Zidane got angry and smashed his head into his chest. Zidane was sent off, and Italy went on to win the title. This scene from the final has long been a favorite among soccer fans. 먹튀검증