Zinedine Zidane's Headbutt
In an interview with French magazine So Foot, Materazzi has revealed that while visiting Jose Mourinho – who had brought his Real Madrid side to Italy to play AC Milan – he chanced upon his old adversary.
‘He said he had not recognised me, he thought I was a supporter,’ the Inter Milan defender said, ‘but I doubt that. Me, I’ll always remember him.
Yet rather than repeat the ugly scenes of five years ago, Materazzi claims a handshake and a ‘beautiful man-to-man moment’ had drawn a line under the sorry saga.
Pure delight: Materazzi’s Italy went on to win the subsequent penalty shootout and therefore the World Cup
He said: ‘I reached out, and I said, “Listen, I’m sorry this happened, it’s over”. And he said “No, no, no problem, do not worry.” We shook hands and that was it.
‘Man to man is what is most beautiful, because to make peace in for the sake of FIFA, and before Sepp Blatter, it is just advertising. But making peace in the car park of a hotel, it was like two friends or two enemies meeting, shaking hands, and voilà.’